


Possession

by Velvethope



Series: Muggle Au [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen, muggle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:48:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 86,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24376042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velvethope/pseuds/Velvethope
Summary: The sequel to Moving the Goalposts - my Muggle Au. Harry and Ginny are starting to settle into their new relationship, with love and passion. But dark times are ahead for the couple, when a person from Ginny's past begins to pull at the new life she's made for herself. Is she in danger? Is Harry? What happens when obsession turns into something worse?
Relationships: Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, Harry and Ginny - Relationship, Harry/Ginny, Remus and Tonks, Ron/Hermione, Sirius Black and original character
Series: Muggle Au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761598
Comments: 77
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

After her run, Ginny Weasley made her way from the owl-shaped letterbox (sometimes she questioned who had actually created these ‘designer’ flats of hers), with her mail clasped tightly in her hands and a spring in her step. She traveled quickly up the stairs and let herself back in. From the scent of coffee in the air, she knew that Harry Potter, her boyfriend for these past several months, was finally out of bed.

Laying the mail on her desk, she kicked off her shoes again and started removing her running clothes, hoping to catch him still in the shower. She entered the bedroom and smiled as she heard his voice over the sound of the water. He didn’t know that she knew he liked to sing in the shower, so she waited, holding back a giggle as his voice hit an incredibly high part of the song he was attempting to sing. She pulled open the door of her wardrobe and let it slam shut to alert him to her presence. 

“Gin? That you?”

Ginny shook her head as she entered the already steamy loo, and went to the shower stall. 

“Who else were you expecting?” she asked as she opened it, smirking at him. 

Harry turned and squinted at her. “Well, that downstairs neighbor of yours always says she wants to catch me in my altogether. I thought perhaps she’d grown bold.”

He was referring to her newest neighbor, a Mrs Doris Crockford, who was an energetic and frisky 78 years young, and who seemed to have developed quite the passing fancy for Harry. Ginny had noticed that she was always flirting with him and shaking his hand, which was actually sort of adorable.

“She doesn’t have a key. Yet,” Ginny said, moving forward under the spray. 

“Good point, and let's never give her one,” Harry said as he watched her. “Have a good run?”

Ginny nodded as the warm water hit the back of her shoulders. “Yeah, it was. I wish I could convince you to go with me sometime.”

“I’d just slow you down,” Harry said, pouring some shampoo into his hand before handing the bottle to her. Ginny made a face and nodded at the other shampoo. 

“Hand me mine, please. If I use yours, I'll smell like a boy," she huffed. 

Harry smirked and handed her the other bottle as he worked his own through his messy, wet hair. “Can’t have that now, can we?”

Ginny didn’t say anything and let the water work its magic. She opened her eyes when Harry gently pushed her out of the way.

“I was here first,” he said, smiling and stuck his head under the water. Ginny took a moment to glance down his body, suddenly remembering why she'd initially come into the shower. She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Are those the rules now? I get cheated out of my own hot shower because you got in here first? Technically, I was awake first, and that should count for something.” Ginny moved her hands even lower.

Harry looked down at her. “What are you doing?"

“Playing my advantage,” Ginny said, taking him in hand. After a few moments, Harry was moaning and moved his legs apart as she shifted to the front of him. Ginny maneuvered herself into the corner, where they had placed a small stool for such occasions. 

“Okay, you win,” Harry said, smiling at her as he followed her lead. She raised her eyebrow at him. 

“You gave in awfully easily.”

“It’s in my best interest to keep you motivated with what you were doing. Besides, I’m done. Shower’s all yours, Gin.”

The sound of his private name for her made her smile, and Ginny settled onto the stool and then leaned forward until she was even with his growing hardness. She took him into her mouth without warning and was amused as he shuddered forward, his hand bracing against the shower wall.

“Fuck,” he murmured, his green eyes staring fixedly at hers.

Ginny looked up at him, slowly removing her mouth. She playfully twirled her tongue around him. “No, not this time, my love. My trophy this time is just you.”

o-o-o-o-o

Afterward, they sat at the kitchen table and ate their breakfast – leftover pizza Ginny had warmed in the mini-oven she had recently purchased. It was Saturday, and neither of them had to be anywhere, and she found that it was one of her favorite days of the week, just based on that fact alone. Ginny loved having Harry all to herself.

Harry looked thoughtfully at her as he ate his pizza. “Maybe we should go to the shops and get real food today. Not that I mind this.” He waved the pizza in the air at her. “But this is our third breakfast of pizza this month.”

“Are you saying I don’t provide enough nutritional intake for you?” Ginny asked, smirking at him.

“No, no, I would never say that. But I think your brother may have hinted at it when he was over the night before and looking for a bite to eat.”

Ginny frowned. He had a point, but she hated going to the shops. All she wanted to do was play video games with Harry all day and maybe take a nap and then have sex a few hundred times again. Nowhere in that plan was there room for them to get dressed and buy food. 

“We’ll be quick,” Harry said, as though reading her mind. “And then we’ll do whatever you want when we get back.”

“Anything?” Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m all yours.”

Ginny smirked. “I thought I proved you already were in the shower.”

A slight blush appeared on Harry’s cheeks, and Ginny felt a warmth move through her. She loved it when she could make him blush – it was one of the most lovable things about him. He had absolutely no idea how attractive he was when he did it, and she wasn’t about to tell him.

“All right,” Ginny said after finishing her pizza. “Perhaps you’re right. We need milk for the twenty cups of coffee you’ll drink today, at any rate. I reckon I could pretend to consider cooking something this week.”

“Sirius and Remus will be so relieved,” Harry said as he got up and grabbed her dish along with his. “They constantly worry about my health, you know.”

“Your godfather lives on take-away, practically!”

Harry chuckled and put the plates into the dishwasher. He looked at the coffee machine, as though wondering if it was worth having another cup with the remainder that was left. She saw him shake his head and start to clean up instead. Ginny got up, finished her tea, and then put the cup into the dishwasher and was still watching him. He was almost religious about maintaining her coffeemaker. 

When he was finished, he glanced at her and noticed her look. "Er, what?"

“Nothing. It’s just amazing to me that I still find what you’re doing to be absolutely adorable.”

“I’m just setting it up for next time. I hate having to clean out the pot before I make a new one. It’s better this way; my uncle taught me that. It's efficient.”

Ginny shook her head and moved over to stand in front of him, leaning against the counter. She reached up and put her arms around his neck, staring up at him. She kissed him as she stretched upward and soon felt his arms wrapping around her. When they broke apart eventually, she smiled.

“Yep, absolutely adorable. Oh, Potter, I have it bad.”

Harry’s eyes turned darker as he gave her a predatory grin. “Yeah? How bad?”

“So bad that I want to do this,” Ginny said as she removed her arms from him and used her hands to push herself up until she was sitting on the counter. Harry immediately moved in between her legs, his arms going around to grasp her backside. Ginny wrapped her legs around his middle, biting her lip as she looked at him. 

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. “Right here, then? On the counter?”

“Why not?” Ginny murmured, her mouth moving up across his neck, her fingers finding their way into the back of his messy hair. 

Harry let his hand push open her dressing gown, his hand lingering on her breast before moving his hand down. He used his fingers to open and tease her. Ginny brought her head back up to meet his gaze.

“You know, we use this counter for food things,” Harry said, kissing her. 

“No, you use it for coffee things,” she whispered.

Ginny felt him shift forward and used her hand to untie his dressing gown, unsurprised to find him more than ready. She glanced up at him. “But I reckon we'll just have to be extra efficient later and clean it very thoroughly.”

Harry chuckled, a profoundly erotic and masculine sound to her ears. Ginny scooted forward and sighed as he entered her. He fit inside of her so well – all these months later, and she still relished it, joining with him. Harry simply completed her. He brought a hand down to rub her as he started to move, and Ginny used her body to pull him in closer, tightening her legs around his waist. She reached behind her and grabbed one of the cupboard doors to hold onto as he picked up the pace. Harry dipped his head down and captured one of her breasts with his mouth, his hot breath making her insides dance. Ginny felt herself shudder, already heading towards her peak, and moaned in approval.

“So eager,” Harry said softly, and she met his gaze even as he pushed harder into her. Ginny groaned as he rotated his hips, making her quiver. He always knew exactly what she needed. It should probably worry her that they knew each other so well, but she found that she didn’t really care. 

“Yes,” she breathed out, reaching for him. He grabbed her hip with his left hand as though trying to push into her even more. He was rough but not too rough, and she felt her skin flush with need. She loved it when he just…took her. Ginny felt herself begin to shake as his thumb speeded up its actions on her clit. "Harry, oh, God, yes," she heard herself mumbling something, and then she felt sweet oblivion as her orgasm crested inside of her. Harry followed shortly after, the way her name fell from his lips was always the sweetest sound Ginny had ever heard. 

They rested against each other, Harry’s head in between her breasts as she wrapped her arms around him. Her legs felt like jelly as she let them fall, her heels banging into the cupboards beneath her. 

“Ughng,” Harry murmured, bringing his mouth up to hers. They kissed and then broke apart, and Ginny fixed his glasses, which had gone crooked. He smiled gratefully at her and then pulled out of her, and Ginny already missed him. She reached out and put a hand on his chest, and they gazed at each other. 

“You know,” Harry said, after a moment, taking her hand into his. “Food is really quite overrated. Who needs to eat?”

Ginny smirked. “We will. In a few hours. Especially if we keep exercising like this.”

Harry laughed and helped her down off the counter. Ginny pulled her dressing gown up around her shoulders again as he pulled his off the floor. 

“No chance for a nap, I reckon,” he asked, yawning as they entered the bedroom. 

“Well, do you think once we wake up in that bed again, we'll be able to stop from…doing things?" 

Harry went to his side of the wardrobe and started looking through the small collection of clothes he usually left there. “You’re right, food first and sex…well, more sex, second.”

"Showers and counters sure do wear you out," Ginny said, grabbing a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt from her side.

“I went to bed late, as well you know.” Harry pulled his glasses off as he pulled a tee-shirt over his head. He put his glasses on again and looked at her, blinking rapidly. “Gin, I love those jeans on you.”

Ginny felt a flush a pleasure at his words and looked down at herself. “These? Any reason why?”

“They make your arse look unstoppable.”

Ginny laughed. “Harry! What does that even mean?”

“It means this.” He moved forward and cupped her backside, squeezing it affectionately. 

“Hmm, I see,” she said, laughing as she pushed him away so she could finish getting dressed. “Let’s stop in at Merlin’s Cup after shopping to get a light lunch and some coffee for you, perhaps? I hate to think of you being too tired later. It makes beating you at football less fun.”

“Hah,” Harry said, as he grabbed his mobile from the bedside table, checking it. Ginny saw him frown.

"What is it?" she asked, worried something had happened to Remus or Sirius.

"Oh, Ian wants me to call him about something or other. He usually doesn’t bother me on the weekend, so it must be something urgent. Do you mind if I?” He held up the phone, and Ginny shook her head. 

“No, go ahead, I have to do something with this hair, anyway.”

Harry went out into the sitting room to make his call while Ginny finished getting ready. She finally decided to pull her hair back into a ponytail, since she knew Harry liked it to play with it while they were out. She shook her head thinking about it – never in a million years as a little girl growing up ginger, did she believe that one day the most important person her in life would not only like her red hair but be enamored of it so completely. Sometimes, Ginny had to admit the reverence in which Harry treated her hair made her the tiniest bit jealous. Which was utterly absurd, she knew. 

She came out of the bedroom to see Harry had moved out onto the landing, the door open. She couldn't hear what he was saying but knew it must be somewhat serious by the tone of his voice. She grinned to herself as she looked at the counter and started cleaning it off. Maybe next time they could try the kitchen table…

“Well, that just takes the biscuit,” Harry said, coming back inside. He threw himself onto the settee, looking aggravated.

“What’s wrong?” Ginny asked, coming over to join him.

“Our center in Exeter was broken into last night, apparently. Broke the front door lock clear off as well as the bloody windows. And get this, nothing was taken, really. But the offices look like a cyclone hit them.”

“How are the other centers?”

“Fine. Dawlish is fine,” Harry said, patting her arm. “Ian doesn’t know why the alarms didn’t work and is trying to sort it out. He thinks it was just some kids having a laugh, but I hate to think that’s it. Here, he sent me some pictures.” Harry held up his mobile so she could see the damage herself. Ginny frowned at the pictures. 

“You’re right, the office looks like a bomb went off. What were they looking for, do you think?”

Harry shrugged. "Ian doesn't know. I mean, just last week, he moved the last of the computers and files over to Dawlish, so there was really nothing for them to get into.”

The new center in Dawlish, Ginny’s place of employment, had been built with a brand new type of room for them, a sort of electronic ‘safe room’ – secure and hard to get into. Ian McDermott, Harry's secretary, had insisted they add an electronic guarded room for all of their files and business papers. Now since the centers were doing so well and getting noticed more, Ian had wanted to make sure that they had a safe place to keep everything. 

"Do you need to head to Exeter?" she asked now, handing his mobile back to him.

“No, it’ll keep until Monday. Ian is all over it – calling the locksmith and glass repair as we speak, most likely. You’re not getting out of going to the shops that easily.”

Harry looked piously down through his glasses at her, and she shook her head.

“All right then. Hey, let’s remember to get some ice cream,” Ginny said, standing up.

“No ice cream until we have some proper meat and vegs in the trolley,” Harry said, as they headed outside. 

Ginny locked the flat up and looked at him. “Now that sounded like your uncle.”

Harry stopped on the step below her. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s been an evil influence on me, who would have thought? If I’d taken after Sirius a bit more, I’d be telling you to add some whiskey and chocolate to that ice cream.”

They made their way towards Ginny’s new car – well, it was new to her. It was a comfortable, yet sporty Opel Corsa, and Ginny loved it. It had been used but had very few miles on it, and it was a lovely shade of pink, which had also inspired what she liked to call it – Pig. The best thing about Pig was that it was a hatchback, and it was great for when she needed to haul her portable football nets and gear with her for work. She had received an excellent deal on it, which she was sure had everything to do with Harry having opted to go with her while she'd looked at cars. The previous owner had knocked about five-hundred pounds off the tab when he’d seen who would be riding in it with her. 

“How’s Pig running?” Harry asked as they both buckled themselves in.

“She’s fine, aren’t you, Pig?” Ginny asked lovingly as she patted the dash of the car. Harry smirked at her. 

“I have never seen someone so in love with a car before.”

“She’s the first major purchase that I ever bought without help from anyone else. Well, without monetary help, that is. I’m proud of her.”

As Ginny drove them to store, they chatted as Harry played with Pig’s radio. Ginny resisted telling him to leave it alone – it was no use, anyway. For some reason, because he was in the passenger seat, Harry thought that this meant he controlled the music. All the music. All the time. Ginny figured it was a testament to how hard she’d fallen for him that she hadn’t set him right about that. Yet. 

“Okay, should we shop together like an old married couple or apart and get it taken care of quickly?” Ginny asked as they entered Waitrose supermarket. She would have rather gone to the Tescos down the road, but she knew Harry liked this store’s coffee better. As well as their variety of biscuits.

"Er, well, Ron and Hermione don't shop together, just to burst your bubble on that one. She bosses everyone around, and each person gets a list and a specialty."

Ginny snorted as Harry grabbed a trolley. “Yeah, you’re right, she does. I’d forgotten that. All right, let's do it together and be the antithesis of my brother and wife." 

“Brilliant,” Harry said as he pushed the cart towards the fruits and vegetable area. "Hey, grab some apples, and I'll get some lemons. We could make a roasted lemon chicken for tomorrow, what do you think? Both our cooking skills together should guarantee it’ll turn out fairly decent.”

Ginny nodded and picked a few apples. She also spied some fresh asparagus across the way from them and grabbed that too, thinking they could have it with the chicken. Soon they were making their way towards Harry's favorite aisle – she could smell the coffee beans from here. Ginny shook her head as his face filled with glee as he saw his favorite brand. She let her eyes wander over to the tea section and suddenly felt a strange sensation at the back of her neck. She turned and saw a man standing a few feet away from her, staring intently at the coffee on the shelf, but it was as though he had just turned his head from gazing at her. Ginny frowned, and the man suddenly jerked back abruptly and left the aisle.

“Ginny?” Harry was asking her, waving his hand in front of her face. 

She blinked at him. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I asked if you wanted to try some of this mocha blend instead of my usual. What’s wrong?” Harry glanced at where the man had been standing, frowning.

“Nothing, really. But there was just a man over there, and I felt like he was acting…odd."

“What was he doing?”

“Staring at the coffee, but it was a really intense look.”

Harry grinned. “You mean he was staring at it like I do?”

Ginny shook her head, the strange feeling leaving her. “Yeah, maybe. I forgot this aisle calls your type here like a siren.”

Harry looked affronted. "My type? If by that you mean people with exquisite taste, then I accept the compliment. However, I think you meant it disparagingly. Hey, aren’t you out of Earl Grey?” Harry reached across the aisle towards the tea and picked her favorite brand off the top shelf. Ginny nodded absentmindedly, still thinking about the strange feeling that seeing the man had given her. 

“Gin,” Harry said, the worry in his voice attracting her attention. She smiled crookedly at him. 

“Sorry, Harry. What’s next?”

“Hmm. I think you need bread and maybe we should get some eggs, too. I can make you eggs a la Harry tomorrow. We’ll need some good cheese… ah, yes, they have the Cornish quartz cheddar Sirius always uses. You're going to love breakfast tomorrow if I do say so myself.”

"I'm thinking it's a good thing I run in the morning because dating you is going to make me plump up,” Ginny said, laughing at him.

Harry waggled his eyebrows at her, reminding her of his godfather. “You could always supplement the running with more sex and really work it off.”

Ginny moved closer to him and pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him soundly. The sound of a throat being cleared came loudly from behind them, and they broke apart to find an old man glaring at them. He pushed his trolley in between them, muttering something about public decency, and Harry blushed. 

“Stop distracting me with kisses, you loose woman you,” Harry whispered, his eyes filling with mirth. “Sorry, sir,” he called out. 

They made their way up to the front and started ringing their purchases. Ginny marveled at all the food Harry had managed to sneak into their trolley. Had her pantry really been that bare? Perhaps it had. Ginny wasn’t used to having a second person to shop for, and Harry was practically living with her at this point. She frowned, wondering if they should actually talk about that fact. He was staying over more and more, and she didn't mind that fact; she kind of loved it, but she worried she was keeping him away from his godfather and uncle too much. Ginny knew how close-knit they all were. 

Harry paid and picked up a few of the bags, nodding at her. “Gin? Can you grab those? I wasn’t blessed with three arms.”

Ginny shook herself from her thoughts and nodded. She grabbed the bags, and they made their way out to the car.

Harry looked at her as they settled back inside again. “Are you sure you’re all right? You seem distracted.”

“When was the last time you were home, Harry?” She asked as she backed the car out. Harry frowned as he thought to himself.

“Er, Tuesday, I think? I did some laundry and hung out with Remus and Dora. You were working late, I think. Why?”

“How’s Sirius doing?”

“Fine, I reckon. I actually haven’t seen him since we had dinner the week before. He’s been at Zee’s constantly.”

“You still haven’t met her, have you?”

Harry sighed. "No. She was away for a while, on a trip, and since then, I've either been with you or Sirius has been with her, and we don’t see him for days. Sirius was doing a couple of dog shows, too. We’ve all been missing each other, I suppose.”

“Let’s see if they can come over for dinner tomorrow - well, Sirius and Zee, at least. I’d like to meet her too. Anyone who can charm your godfather is a woman I’d like to meet.”

Harry laughed. “Okay, let me send him a message.” Harry’s mobile went off a moment later as Ginny drove towards home. 

Harry chuckled. “He says, and I quote, ‘About damn time she invites me over. And yes, I'll bring Zee. She can't wait to meet you two, either. Tell Red that’s a brilliant idea.’”

Sirius had taken to using Harry’s previous nickname for her, and Ginny found that she didn’t mind all that much. They arrived back at The Phoenix's Roost and unloaded the car. Once all the food was put away, they headed back out, this time on foot, towards their favorite coffee shop. It was the same one they had first come clean about everything in, where she had met him as herself for the first time. It still thrilled Ginny to think of how much her life had changed since that night. They grabbed a table up front, by the window, and Ginny sighed, looking out at the people walking in front of the café. Their usual waitress, Lavender, was always flirting with Harry, no matter if Ginny was there or not, greeted them. 

“Hiya, you two. What’ll be? I still have that Kona blend from before, cutie.” Lavender winked at Harry. Ginny gave him an amused look.

“Uh, yeah, that’d be nice, thanks. And one of those sandwiches, too?”

“Salmon or Turkey, sweetie?”

“Turkey. Gin?”

Harry looked at her as though pleading with her to behave. Ginny bit back her reply of ‘he’s my sweetie’ and ordered a tea and a salad. Lavender winked at Harry again and sashayed her way across the café. Ginny shook her head. 

"She's lucky she's a good server, or I might have to have words with her."

Harry glanced over at where Lavender was getting their drinks. “Not worth it. Although is it entirely male of me to say that the idea of you fighting for me is sort of a turn on?”

“Wouldn’t be much of a fight,” Ginny said confidently. “She’s all flirt with no substance. I’d win in two seconds.”

“And rob me of the idea of you and her in a muddy wrestle? Damn.”

Their order arrived, this time delivered by the other waitress, a young girl named Demelza, who only blushed profusely at Harry and Ginny both. 

"Do you think we spend too much time together?" Ginny asked as they enjoyed their lunch. Harry blinked back at her, a suddenly worried look on his face.

“Why? Do you think we spend too much time together? Have I overstayed my welcome?”

Ginny bit back a laugh and shook her head. “No! No, of course, not. It’s just…" she paused and grabbed his hand. "I just don’t want your family to think I’m monopolizing all of your time. We’re practically living with each other at this point, you have to admit.”

“Sirius and Remus adore you, Ginny. You know they do. And they’re happy for me. As for the living with you part…well, I reckon I could spend more nights away if you're tired of me." 

Ginny shook her head. “That’s not what I meant, Harry. I love you being around all the time! I never thought I would enjoy living with someone because I feel so independent most of the time, but you’re just…perfect in that way of yours. You’ve completely become a part of my life in a way I never imagined or thought possible.”

Harry's gaze softened, and he rubbed his thumb across the knuckles of her hand. "Thank God, you said that. I was about to have a severe anxiety attack over here. Is the flat too small? Maybe we should look at getting a bigger place we can share.”

“But you have your parent’s house. Why would you want a flat?”

“True, but…listen, they haven’t made it officially official yet, but Remus and Dora are getting married. He asked her, and she said yes, so they're looking around for their own place. And Sirius was saying something about remodeling the upstairs after Remus moves out. We could combine two of the bedrooms into another big, master bedroom. You could stop paying rent and live with me, instead.”

“In your house? Like a proper, grown-up couple?”

Harry nodded, his eyes filled with warmth. "Yeah. You know I love you, Gin. And now that I've found you, I can't imagine that changing.”

Ginny felt her insides melt at the earnestness she saw in his face. “Oh, Harry. You’re making me feel like a silly girl over here.” 

Harry looked bewildered. “Why?”

"Because you say the sweetest things without even meaning to, and it makes me all… fluttery," Ginny said, laughing at him. “Have you mentioned this idea to Sirius?”

Harry nodded. “I have, actually. He was all for it. He knows I’m head over heels for you.”

Ginny blinked at him and took a drink of her tea to take a breather from their conversation. She ran her hand back ad forth against the edge of the table, thinking about it. What was the point of waiting? They knew each other well, thanks to their email relationship, and it didn’t feel too soon, even though it probably should. She loved Harry, and he was right – she didn’t see that changing anytime soon. Truth be told, she could see herself doing it for the rest of her life. She smiled at him.

“Okay, it… it sounds like a plan. Let’s do it. As soon as Remus and Dora move out, I’ll move in with you.”

Harry's face broke into a broad smile, and his eyes beamed at her with utter happiness. “Brilliant!”

Ginny and Harry were so wrapped up in the decision they had just made that neither of them noticed the man watching them from across the street. The man took a deep drag of the cigarette he’d been smoking and then tossed it to the ground, grinding it with his foot. The spot was littered was butts, as though he’d been there awhile.

o-o-o-o-o

Cornelius Fudge, Esq., was shuffling through the latest papers handed to him by his secretary. It was that time of the month again- the time when those approaching the end of their terms were to be considered for early parole. A few of the same names seemed to pop out at him, and he put those into the decidedly 'no' pile and pulled out the few new requests they’d received.

Ah, Tom Riddle. That one was new. Cornelius read through the file efficiently and then sighed. Riddle had been an absolute model prisoner – he had found God, according to the prison chaplain, never had any incidents with other prisoners and kept to himself. It all seemed rather above board, really. He had even been a participant in the new prison work-furlough program that all the bleeding hearts swore was good for building a prisoner's morale and allowed them to ‘integrate more fully back into their lives’ once released. 

His previous crimes, of course, were still terrible. Terrorizing young women. Dreadful business, Cornelius thought with distaste. At Riddle's trial, it had been brought forward that a few girls had been harmed, but it had never been substantiated that they had been harmed by Riddle so that consideration had not gone into the man’s sentence. And Cornelius was therefore not allowed to consider it now while reviewing the man for early parole.

Cornelius waffled over the file longer than he should – he just couldn’t make up his mind. Usually, whenever he wavered between making a decision like this, he always erred on the side of caution and declined. But with the local elections coming up and people already getting into a clamor about being more lenient towards the lesser crimes, Fudge knew his actions were being looked at closely by those in charge. 

He sighed and closed Riddle's file. Perhaps if he were to watch the man himself, he would be able to make up his mind. In all 25 years of his service to the Crown as Prison Magistrate, he had always gone with his gut feeling about prisoners. And to his credit, Cornelius had only been wrong about two or three of them, which was a good track record, if he did say so himself. 

Yes, perhaps he would meet this Tom Riddle and then see if he really believed that his ‘good behavior’ was for real and not an act. He switched the file to his secretary’s outbox and scribbled a note to meet with Riddle within the next week. Happy that he’d made some progress, Cornelius grabbed his coat and bowler hat and headed home for the night, thinking of eating someplace expensive tonight. A job well done deserved some reward, surely?

o-o-o-o-o


	2. Chapter2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry & Ginny have Sirius over for dinner and finally meet his mysterious Zee. Ron has som disturbing news to tell his sister...

_Author’s Note: A very many thanks to the wonderful Breanie for allowing me to use her original character Zee, from her story A Second Chance, as Sirius’s love interest. Consider this her Muggle counterpart. ;) Please read her lovely story yourself, if you haven’t already!_

* * *

Harry watched Ginny fixing her hair for the umpteenth time and smiled to himself. He went into the loo and stood behind her, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

“Gin, you look amazing, the food is going to taste amazing, and this whole night will be –“

“Let me guess, amazing?” Ginny said, smirking at him. She frowned at her appearance one more time and turned to look at him.

“Why aren’t you more nervous than you are? Aren’t you worried about making a good first impression?”

Harry shrugged as they left the loo and made their way to the kitchen so Ginny could, no doubt, make sure the chicken was roasting correctly or something.

“Well, yeah, but…if Sirius feels as though this Zee person is important enough to meet us, then that tells me two things. One, he really, really likes her, and two, he’s accepted you as part of his family because he’s letting us meet her as a couple. And that makes me feel pretty good. You should feel pretty good about it too.”

Ginny smiled as she thought about it. She turned and wrapped her arms around his middle and looked up at him. “You’re right. Thank you, Harry. You soothe my anxiety quite well, do you know that?”

Harry kissed her forehead. “I’m glad. And just remember this the next time we have a big dinner with your family and your brothers start teasing me something fierce.”

When Harry and Ginny had finally come clean to the rest of the Weasleys, he had been nervous but more relaxed than he would have thought possible. They had all accepted it with good cheer, really. But Fred and George had terrorized him a bit and told him to make sure he never made their baby sister cry unless it was with ‘tears of happiness or tears of extreme passion’ which had made Harry’s face turn as red as a tomato in front of Mr and Mrs Weasley. It had taken Harry at least a couple more family dinners before he could look Mr Weasley in the eye again.

Ginny laughed and pulled away, looking at the oven. The timer was just about to go off. She nodded at Harry.

“I think it’s time this bird escapes its heated coup. Oven gloves, please, Harry.”

He handed her a pair of bright green gloves shaped like claws (a gift, he’d found out, from Fred and George) and watched as she pulled the chicken out of the oven. The scent of the food hit him sharply, and he felt his mouth water in anticipation. Harry had smelled it cooking for most of the afternoon, and he had to admit, Ginny had outdone herself. Of course, he’d helped. As much as he could, at any rate, and dessert had been entirely his to deal with. Harry had decided to make Sirius’s favorite, banoffee pie.

"We'll let it rest, and it should be ready to eat by the time they get here.” Ginny removed a baking dish from her refrigerator, and Harry spotted the asparagus he’d cut earlier. She threw a few pats of butter on top of it and salted it one more time. Harry had already chopped garlic and put fresh pepper on it. He was actually proud of how well they worked together in the kitchen. It meant neither of them would starve as long as they were both properly motivated.

Almost on cue, a knock sounded on the door, startling them. Ginny met his eyes and bit her lip. Suddenly, Harry felt his calm feelings leave him as he realized that this was it. Ginny shook her head at him.

“You big faker! You convinced me not to worry, but you should see the expression on your face,” she teased him. “Come on, let’s go meet her and get it over with.”

He followed Ginny to the door and tried to get a glimpse of the woman on the other side, but he could only see two silhouettes. He put a hand on Ginny’s arm. 

“What if we don’t like each other?”

"Bit late for that, isn't it?" Ginny asked, mirth in her eyes. Harry felt sheepish and shrugged; she was right.

Ginny opened up the door, and Harry relaxed when he saw Sirius’s face. The woman next to his godfather smiled warmly, a faint blush of color of her toffee-colored cheeks. 

“Hello, Ginny! See, Zee? I told you my godson existed.” Sirius led her inside and then turned to give Ginny a hug. Harry felt shy all of sudden and grinned stupidly. Zee extended her hand to him.

“Hullo, Harry. I’m Zee, short for Zahira. It is very nice to meet you, finally. This old dog talks about you non-stop, so I feel as though I already know you.”

Harry glanced at Sirius, who only shook his head at Zee and followed Ginny into the kitchen area, already talking about the food. Harry shook Zee’s hand and smiled. “I know what you mean, Zee. It is finally nice to put a face with the name.”

And it was. Zee was gorgeous – striking even, with gold-tinted brown hair that was curly and long. She had skin the color of caramel and a warm voice. Zee was shorter than Ginny, even though Harry noticed she supplemented that attribute with very tall, high heels on her boots. She was round and curvy in places too, with dark brown eyes that were now sparking at him, full of mischief. Oh, yeah. Harry knew immediately why his godfather had fallen for this one. 

“Harry, why don’t you pour the wine while I check the asparagus. Sirius, stop picking at the chicken!” Ginny said, laughing as his godfather tried to pry open the silver foil she’d placed around it. 

“I can’t help it, Ginny; it smells heavenly. I hope this one helped you and didn’t just sit around on the settee while you cooked.”

Harry shook his head and took the wine out of the refrigerator, pouring everyone a glass. “Sirius! You raised me better than that!”

Sirius laughed and put a hand on his back. “I know, I know, Harry. I didn’t raise a lazy git.”

Soon, Ginny announced it was time to eat, and Harry helped her carry the dishes to the table. Zee smiled at them.

“Thank you for inviting us, you two. I've been traveling a fair bit and haven't had a chance to eat a home-cooked meal in an age. This looks delicious. And it's so… normal.”

Harry snorted as Sirius rolled his eyes at his date. “Taking the mickey out of me for my cooking attempts, Zee, will not endear you to my godson, you know.” Sirius put his arm around Harry as though they were a united front.

Harry smirked at Zee. “Don’t listen to him. You just proved to me that you’re one of us. What culinary disaster has he made you try?”

Sirius looked affronted as Zee went into detail about one of his dinner attempts. A story that involved a mango, a few pickles, some corn chips, and a grilled tuna. It had Harry and Ginny both laughing out loud. 

“It wouldn’t have been too bad, I suppose,” Zee was saying, looking fondly at Sirius, “if he hadn’t used those horrible extra spicy, cheesy chips. Cheese and mango are not meant to be, I don’t think.”

Sirius shrugged good-naturedly. “Yes, but now we know that. If I hadn’t have tried, we’d still be in the dark.”

“There are some things that are meant not to be known,” Harry said, laughing.

“Heathens,” Sirius said. “You don’t know greatness when you taste it.”

“Well, you would think the cheesy-ness would take away from the sweetness of the mango,” Ginny offered.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! See, Ginny, you understand what I was going for. All anyone else sees is, why would you and how could you? when I make my creations. It’s a pity, really.”

Dinner continued on, and Harry realized he was having a very good time – Zee was an excellent conversationalist. She could definitely keep up with Sirius, he had no doubt about that. He knew Remus would be amazed to see his friend now, or, then again, maybe he wouldn’t. Remus had always seemed to think it would only take the right sort woman to get Sirius to settle down; Harry was starting to think that maybe, he had finally found her.

o-o-o-o-o

After having coffee and dessert, Sirius and Zee said their goodbyes, with Zee apologizing that she had an early day the next morning. Sirius hugged him tightly before they left.

“Don’t be a stranger this week, okay, godson? Some of us miss you.”

“All right, you’ll be home, then?”

Sirius nodded. “Yeah, plan on dinner night, on me this time. Zee’s got business in London most of the week, so I’ll be around. And Ginny, thank you for a delicious meal. It was perfect.”

Ginny blushed prettily at his godfather. 

“You’re welcome, Sirius, it was my pleasure. And Zee, it was so nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Zee said, smiling at Ginny. Her eyes met Harry’s. “And it was wonderful to meet you, Harry. I know your godfather usually likes to embellish things, but with you, it was all true.”

Now it was Harry’s turn to blush as Sirius started heading down the stairs. “Come on, Zee, before his head gets too big. Ginny needs to share a pillow with him, you know.”

Harry laughed and closed the door behind him. Ginny was chuckling at him as she went to clean the table and finish putting the food away.

“That was nice,” Ginny said, glancing at him. “I really like her. What did you think?”

“I liked her, too,” Harry said, helping her. “She’s…she’s different from some of the other women he’s brought home. More…down to earth, somehow. Or maybe it’s him that’s changed.”

“He seems really happy and relaxed with her,” Ginny agreed as she carried the dishes to the sink.

Harry watched her for a moment and then went to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “And how about me? How do I seem?”

Ginny put the last dish into the machine and turned off the taps. She turned in his arms and wrapped her own arms up around his neck. She stretched upward and kissed him, her fingers playing in his hair in that brilliant way she had. Harry shivered in response.

After several moments, they broke apart, and Ginny bumped her nose into his. “You seem very happy, too," she murmured. 

“But not relaxed?” Harry asked, pulling her closer. Ginny looked down in between them.

“Well, no, not completely. One part of you is anything but.”

Harry chuckled. “Fair point. I can’t help that certain things on me get a bit worked up, around you, Red. They always have.” Harry kissed her again and worked one hand into her hair, and the other hand made its way under her shirt.

Ginny laughed when they broke apart. “Hopefully, they always will. I’m not going to give you up for anything.”

“Do you want to say sod this mess and get to the extracurricular activities of our evening?”

Ginny nipped at his lips, a smile of amusement on her face. “Only if you promise to clean up tomorrow for me while I’m at work.”

“Deal,” Harry said, pulling her hand into his and heading for the bedroom.

Ginny laughed. “You didn’t even argue or try to bargain with me, Harry.”

Harry turned as he pulled her close again. "I don't mind, and besides, I like feeling like I’m your love slave, Mistress Gin.”

“Love slave? Ha!” Ginny said, placing her hand on his chest. “That’s not what you said when I asked you to do the laundry this morning.”

“I hadn’t had my coffee yet,” Harry murmured, starting to remove her clothes for her. Ginny allowed him to remove her shirt and then stepped out of her jeans when he had loosened the snap. She stood before him in just her bra and knickers, more beautiful than anyone had a right to look, in Harry’s eyes. He ducked his head back down to kiss her, but she stopped him again, mischief on her face. Ginny walked past him and then lay sideways on the bed, propping her head on her hand. 

“Tell me more about this Mistress title of mine. Does it come with any benefits?”

Harry laughed and felt a thrill shoot through him. “Anything you want, Gin.”

Ginny smiled and stretched out as Harry felt his breath catch. She is bloody brilliant. She brought her head back up and met his eyes with a gaze full of want on her face. She looked at the side table and smirked at him.

“Then perhaps we should get started. Fetch your tools, slave.”

Harry grinned and started pulling off his own clothes. It was going to be an eventful night, he could tell.

o-o-o-o-o  


The next morning, Harry did as promised and cleaned the kitchen. In fact, he even got up early and cleaned it. He smirked at Ginny as she sat at the table, finishing her breakfast, marveling at him.

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it without me nagging,” she finally admitted. 

Harry smiled at her. “Potter men keep their promises, you should know this now since we’re going to be living together.”

Ginny blushed and finished her tea. “You should talk to Remus and Sirius about that first, don’t you think?”

Harry frowned. “Yeah, I will. But I don’t really see them objecting to it.”

Ginny shrugged and got up to put her dishes away. She spied the lunch he’d made her sitting on the counter. “You even made me lunch?”

Harry grinned and nodded. “I can’t have my woman starving during the day, can I?”

Ginny snickered. “The gang will love the idea that the Harry Potter made me…what did you make me?” She opened up the container and looked at the food he’d prepared. “Hmm, chicken sandwich, and…hmm, the last piece of the pie. Okay, you're the perfect boyfriend; it's settled."

Harry chuckled and got up to get more coffee. “Not really. That piece of pie was much bigger, earlier. I’m good, Gin, but I’m not a saint.”

“I’ll settle for good,” Ginny said, reaching up to kiss him. “Actually, after last night, I’d say you’re shooting for bloody brilliant.”

They kissed until Ginny’s alarm went off on her mobile, and she pulled away reluctantly. "Damn, foiled by work again. What are you up to today?" 

“Thought I’d hang out with Sirius and get some more clothes from home. Then Ian wants me in Exeter to go over the break-in with the police.”

Ginny frowned. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that already! Anything you want me to pass along to the troops?”

Harry shook his head. “No, just have a good day. I’m sure Ian will do that later. He’s already sent me three messages about the insurance and whatnot. He’s acting as though the center was destroyed. It’s just a few broken windows and a busted door.”

“Still,” Ginny said as she grabbed her keys and the rest of her things. “Maybe we should beef up security at our center, too. It always pays to be cautious.”

Harry didn’t say anything and watched her make sure she had everything. He reached for her and kissed her. Ginny pulled away, looking a bit dazed, her cheeks filling with color.

“What was that for?”

“I just love you,” Harry said, cupping her face with his hand. Ginny’s brown eyes filled with warmth.

“And I love you, Harry. Have a good day. I’ll call you later about dinner, yeah?”

Harry nodded, and Ginny was almost closing the door behind her when she called out. “Oh, could you remember to check the post later, before you leave? The key is on the desk. Thank you, Harry." She waved her fingers at him, and then she was gone, her steps making a slight ruckus as she bounded down the stairs. 

Harry finished with his own breakfast and shot a message off to Ian, and then took a shower. He looked through his clothes and realized that later he should just bring over all of his wardrobe from home. He was just about to go and get the post when Ron called him.

“Harry? Is my sister with you by any chance?”

“No, she should be at work by now, though. Did you try her mobile?”

“Yeah, no answer, but maybe she was driving or is too busy. Just, if you see her later, make sure she calls me, okay?”

Harry frowned at the sound in his mate’s voice. “Ron, is something wrong? Is it your parents or someone else?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, it’s just…ah, bloody hell. You should probably know this too, but, look remember that Tom Riddle bloke that bothered Ginny awhile back?”

Harry felt his stomach swoop suddenly. “Yeah, why?”

“An old friend, who helped Ginny with her case against him, just called me. He says he heard it through his connections that Riddle might be getting an early release. I just wanted to talk to her about it and make sure she was okay. They haven’t decided yet, but if they do, she’ll get a letter from the courts indicating their decision. I just wanted her to be on the look-out for it.”

Harry sat down on the settee, feeling sick. “How can they let this maniac out?”

“Good behavior, most likely. I don’t know. Neville really didn’t have anything else to say about it, just rumors he had heard around the department.”

“But he stalked her! And other women too, from what Ginny’s told me. How is this even possible?”

“The man could be bloody charming when he needed to be. He’s probably got them fooled. Look, don’t say anything to Ginny until she mentions it, okay? I don’t want her to freak out. I’ll try her mobile again. Or maybe I’ll drive over to the center and talk to her. I think that would be best, come to think of it.”

“Want me to join you?” Harry asked, suddenly wanting to make sure she would be okay, too.

“Nah, Ginny needs to hear this from someone who was around back then, I think. No offense.”

They talked for a bit more, and then Ron hung up. Harry sighed. He didn’t think Ginny was going to react that well to the news, but then again, nothing was certain yet. Maybe the powers that be wouldn’t let the git out. She hadn’t really told him anything else about the experience, other than what she'd written to him in one of her letters. Harry suddenly felt terrible that he'd never pushed her for more information, but he figured he’d sort of understood that she just didn’t want to talk about the past. But whatever happened, Harry was going to be there for her this time. No matter what.

o-o-o-o

“Sirius?” Harry called out as he entered his house. “Remus?” 

Harry heard a thump from upstairs and then a loud swear. He paused at the stairs and looked up. “Er, hello? Anyone home?”

“Up here, Harry.”

Harry hurried up the stairs and then stopped, torn between wanting to cry or laugh. He went with laughing. 

“What the blazes are you doing?” Harry asked, staring at his godfather in wonder. 

Sirius had stripped all of the wallpaper from the main hallway and was trying to put up a new pattern. He had one roll hanging half-way off the wall, drooping over his head and was reaching for a large rolling device with his foot, of all things. Harry shook his head and bent down to retrieve it for him. 

“Ta,” Sirius said, smiling. He turned back to the wall and used the tool to push the wallpaper upward, smoothing it in place. He turned to Harry with a grin. “You startled me when you came in, and I dropped the roller. I didn’t expect you so early. I thought I’d have this hallway half-done.”

Harry looked around. “When did you start this project? And why?”

Sirius shrugged. “Just wanted a change. That old print was boring. What do you think of this one? I figured you’d like the red.”

Harry looked at the wallpaper and saw that there were tiny golden griffins throughout the bright red paper. He raised his eyebrow at Sirius. “Well, it’s eye-catching, I’ll give you that.”

“I thought it would brighten the place up. Don't worry, I haven't touched anything else."

“Want some help?” Harry asked, looking around. 

“Sure, if you want. I’ll finish quicker with you helping, and then we can go downstairs, drink coffee, and gossip like two old biddies.”

Harry laughed, and Sirius told him what to do. They worked steadily for a while, with Sirius telling Harry that Zee had inspired this latest inspiration for home improvement. 

"She just had her place re-done, and I really liked some of the new things they have now for Do-It-Yourself home remodel. I know we talked about remodeling up here after Remus leaves, but I thought, why not start and do it as we go? Ah, there…see? Doesn’t it look happier in here?”

Harry stood back and looked at the hallway. “Well, it definitely looks redder. I think Ginny or Ron might worry they're going to clash with our color scheme, though." 

Sirius laughed. “Well, we’ll stop here. Just let me shower and change. We’ll meet downstairs?”

Harry nodded and went into his room. He gazed at his closet and found an old holdall to put the rest of his clothes into. After he was sure he had everything, he turned and stared at his computer. He missed using it. Ginny, of course, let him use hers, but it wasn’t the same. Realizing that Ginny didn’t exactly have room for a second desk in her flat, Harry wondered if he should look into getting a laptop or something portable. He decided to send himself copies of any files he might still have that he'd need for the foreseeable future.

Eventually, he grabbed a few more things from his room and stuck them in his bag and then headed downstairs. Sirius was already in the kitchen, freshly cleaned, and had the coffee going.

“How’s Remus?” Harry asked, sitting down at the table. 

“He’s good. Dora said to tell you she left you some books on that side table by the television. She said she thinks you’ll like this set.”

Sirius brought over two mugs and handed one to Harry. They sighed as they both took a drink, both relishing the scent and the warmth of the coffee. 

“So, have they set a date?” Harry asked.

“I think so. They’re thinking about early October.”

“Wow, that’s coming up soon. Reckon Dora doesn’t want to plan anything too big.”

“Well, they didn’t want to do it at the end of the month…” Sirius paused and glanced at him. Harry understood suddenly. The anniversary of his parent’s death was at the end of October, and it was never a happy time for him. In fact, he usually became quiet and withdrawn. He frowned at Sirius.

“They don’t have to rush on my account, they know that, right?”

“They do, Harry. I think they just wanted to avoid any bad connections that might be made, out of respect for you and…for your parents.”

Harry grimaced, thinking about it. “It’s about time we start treating October like a normal month though. And besides, I am sure Remus finally marrying Dora would thrill my parents to death, if they knew. And it’s different this year…I have Ginny now."

When Harry had been with Cho, she had always stayed away while he mourned his parents. Mostly because Harry knew he had a tendency to be a brooding git. But Harry had a feeling that Ginny would not let that happen this year, but she wouldn't put up with it for very long either. He just knew she'd be there, quietly supporting him in that silent, encouraging way she had. 

“I think you should tell them that, Harry,” Sirius said, studying him. “I think they would appreciate it. I know Dora was even hesitant to plan it for the start of the month.”

Harry nodded, making a note to himself to talk to the rest of his family. He didn't want them to put things off because they were worried about his feelings. It wasn't right. 

“So have they found a place to live?”

Sirius grinned. “They have! Near the hospital, so Dora can practically walk to work now. I think she wanted to stay close-by in case she ever needed to come home quickly during a shift.”

Harry drank his coffee, thinking about how much all of their lives were changing. 

“What’s wrong, Harry?” Sirius asked after a moment, a knowing look on his face.

“Nothing, I just… it feels like the end of an era, in a way.”

Sirius snorted. “The end of our bachelor-hood lifestyle is what I think you mean. But don’t worry, Harry. I’m still here. Zee may think she has me tamed but-“

“I asked Ginny to move in with me. Officially. When Remus moves out.”

His godfather stopped, looking taken aback for a moment before giving him an amused grin. “You don’t waste any time, do you? A few months of steady sex, and Ginny has you ready to settle down quite nicely.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I am practically living with her now, Sirius. You and I have talked about this before. She’s…” Harry stopped, feeling silly all of a sudden. “She’s it, Sirius. She’s just…all I want.”

Sirius gave him a fond look. “Of course she is, Harry. Anyone who knows you can see you are completely ‘round the bend over her. And rightly so. She’s good for you. You’re good for each other, actually. Well, I reckon I could start looking for a place, too…or maybe Zee can squeeze me in at her place for a bit.”

“No!” Harry interrupted. “I mean, no, I don’t want you to move out too. You can stay. Of course, you can stay.”

Sirius rested his head on his hand and sighed. “Kid, it’s time you have this place for yourself. You and Ginny need to make this your home now. You don’t need me around, you really don’t.”

“But…” Harry paused, feeling sad suddenly. “But this place won’t be a home without you, Sirius. You’re…you and Remus both are just…supposed to be here. With me. And besides, who’s going to come up with Taco in a Crumpet night or Ham Sandwich in a Donut lunch for us?”

Sirius placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, an earnest look on his handsome face. "You and Ginny will create your own things together. Maybe you two can have Shag on the Kitchen Counter Night or something.” Sirius winked at him even as Harry felt his face heat. His godfather’s face widened in surprise, and then he let out a loud bark of a laugh.

“Harry! I’m proud of you for already introducing that into your repertoire! See, you don’t need me about, mucking stuff like that up! And also, I really don’t need to accidentally walk in on that either. Think of my poor eyes.”

Harry shook his head, laughing despite himself. The tightness in his chest loosened a bit. “But this is your home too. We don’t want to kick you out. I don’t want to kick you out.”

“No, it’s your home, Harry. It always has been. Just like it was always theirs, no matter how many times I crashed on their settee. It's time you start building a real life here like they did. You and Ginny are going to have a great time making this place your own. Just don’t let her change that bloody wallpaper in the hall. We worked hard enough. Spent an entire afternoon on it and everything.”

Sirius laughed and got up from the table. Harry felt sad still, but he knew what Sirius had said was correct – it was time he started another chapter of his life. He was excited about living with Ginny in the house that had belonged to his parents. It felt right. Building a life with her was all he really wanted – eventually, Harry could see them getting married and then, hopefully, having a kid. Or two. Ginny did have a large family, after all. Harry realized he didn't know how she felt about kids but figured they had time enough to sort themselves out, as far as that subject concerned. 

He turned and looked at his godfather, feeling the tightness in his chest return. Harry got up and threw his arms around Sirius, hugging him tightly.

“I know, kid,” Sirius murmured, returning the gesture. “I know. But you’re ready for this. We’re all ready for this. Life changes. And people change with it. But just know I will always, always be here for you, okay? I love you, Harry.”

Harry nodded and looked away, feeling his eyes starting to water. “I know. And I love you, too. We don’t say that enough to each other, probably.”

Sirius smiled at him as they broke apart. “No, probably not. And won’t Remus be sad he missed the group hug?” His godfather tussled Harry’s hair and laughed when Harry pulled away. “Now, we’ll see you two over for dinner tomorrow? I think Dora is off, so we’ll be able to make it a real Potter-Black-Lupin-Tonks-Weasley get together!”

Harry raised his eyebrow. “That’s a lot of names. What about Zee?”

“She’s off to London, already, but I'll be sure to add her in the next time. That’ll be the Potter-Black-Lupin-Tonks-Weasley-Zacarias Get-Together!”

“Well, until Dora and Remus get married, then it’ll be the…Potter-Black-Lupins-Weasley-Zacarias,” Harry said, laughing. 

Sirius nodded his head. “And then, of course, you and Ginny will get married next and –“

“Hey! It could be you and Zee!”

Sirius stopped and gave Harry a solemn look. “No. It won't be. Zee and I have discussed this. The moment one of us is overwhelmed with any feeling about making things official is when we will break ourselves up."

Harry sighed. “Whatever, Sirius. She’s perfect for you, by the way, if she agreed to that crazy arrangement. Hey, I have to go visit with Ian about the Exeter center being broken into, so I’ll take the Jeep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What happened?” Sirius asked, and Harry realized he hadn’t told anyone other than Ginny.

“Oh, it’s nothing, I’m sure. Just someone having a laugh and breaking some windows. Of course, Ian thinks it’s world war three.” Harry reached down and grabbed his bag full of clothes. He remembered to grab the books Dora had left for him as well. He was slowly bringing Ginny around to reading mysteries like he did. 

“Well, let me know if you need anything, and you know what? Maybe I should get a new car since you commandeer my Jeep at every opportunity,” Sirius said, following him outside.

“Sorry,” Harry said as he opened up the back of the vehicle. “I could probably get something, instead, and let you keep this old junker.”

“Maybe I’ll get another motorcycle,” Sirius said, ignoring Harry’s offer. His eyes were already filling with glee. “Zee said she liked the idea of that when I mentioned it.”

They said goodbye then, and Harry headed off towards Exeter. He hoped Ian didn’t make him stay a long time at the Center. He wanted to check in with Ron and see if he’d managed to talk to Ginny. 

o-o-o-o-o


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"You and Harry should join us for drinks this Friday," Angelina said as the two women finished with cleaning up the training room. The girls they'd been working with had been particularly chaotic this time, Ginny noted.

"Yeah, I'll ask him. Sometimes Harry doesn't like to go out with big crowds. I kind of think I'm the same way now."

"It'll be low-key, just us workmates. I mean unless he feels odd about being the 'boss'."

Ginny chuckled as she gathered up the last of the errant footballs around the room. "No, it's more like Harry would feel bad if you guys felt awkward about him being there like the 'boss', and none of you could have a good time with him around."

Angelina stopped and raised her eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense, and yet from what I know of him, it totally does. But, anyway, the invitation is always there for you two. Although, I reckon I _can_ understand why you just want him all to yourself. You two are _so_ in that honeymoon phase of your relationship."

Ginny stopped and thought about it. She figured her friend had a point. She and Harry had no problems doing absolutely nothing together and still feel entertained. Furthermore, she and Harry just really _liked_ being together all the time. It was sort of funny to Ginny if she thought of it. She had never experienced anything like it.

Angelina smiled at her. "It's cool, Ginny. I know how it is. You two are pretty adorable. Even if it is sickening to us single types."

Ginny rolled her eyes but realized her friend had brought up a scary thought. "Oh, god, we are, aren't we? Do people hate us? How did this happen to me, Angelina?"

"You fell in love, you daft cow," Angelina said fondly. They finally finished putting the room to rights, and Angelina linked her arm around Ginny's. "Now, don't you worry, we all love you and Harry because well, you're just brilliant and he signs our cheques, so no one hates you too much."

"Oh, thanks a lot," Ginny said, finally laughing. "My mind is put at ease now."

They were heading back toward the office when Ginny's heard her brother's voice. She poked her head around the doorway.

"Ron? What are you doing here?"

Ron waved at her from where he sat behind her desk. Mrs Figg appeared to be showing him photos of Mr and Mrs Tibbles' latest adventure. He smiled now at Mrs Figg. "I'll ask my wife if she'd like a kitten, promise."

"Good man! Good man!" Arabella said, closing her book and lovingly clutching it to her chest, beaming at him as though he had just promised her the moon. Ron gave Ginny a look that said he needed to talk to her.

"Er, Bella, do you mind if I talk to my brother?"

"No, go ahead, Ginny. It's almost quitting time, anyway. The rest of you lot might as well take off, too."

A small cheer went up at those words, and after everyone left, Ginny nodded at Ron to get out of her chair.

"What's up, big brother?"

Ron sighed and leaned against the wall, watching her get her desk organized. When he didn't say anything, Ginny glanced at him, suddenly worried. When she saw Ron run his hand through his hair, she knew something was wrong.

"I sort of have…bad news," Ron said, seeing her look.

She blinked at him. "Is it Hermione? Is something wrong? Mum? Dad?"

Ron shook his head. "No. They're all fine. This has to do with you. Remember a few years ago we talked about what was going to happen if they ever let...you-know-who out?"

For a moment, Ginny had no idea what he was on about, and then it came to her, like a light turning on. "You mean… _him_. Riddle? They're letting him out?" Ginny quickly did the math in her head and frowned. "Has it been almost five years already?"

Ron nodded. He gazed at her, his eyes full of compassion. "Neville heard it through work; he's up for early parole. I'm sorry, Ginny."

Ginny stared down at her hands and realized they were shaking. She made a fist and then closed her eyes briefly. She took a deep breath and then looked at her brother. "We knew this day would come sooner or later. I just…"

"Wanted it to be later, yeah," Ron said, nodding. He bent down so that he was at the same level as she was. He took one of her hands and squeezed it. "It's okay to be…well, anything, really. Angry, upset, scared, even."

Ginny nodded absentmindedly, and then as his words sunk in, she pulled her hand away, swallowing roughly. "I'm fine, Ron. He won't start it up again. He'll have moved on to someone else, no doubt. Or, who knows, maybe he _has_ turned over a new leaf." She started picking up her belongings and stood up, ready to leave.

Her brother stood back up and rested against the wall again. "I mentioned it to Harry."

Ginny stopped and stared at him. To Ron's credit, it took him a full moment of meeting her gaze before he winced and looked away.

"Okay, okay, I know, that was wrong of me without your permission, but I felt he had a right to know if you suddenly came home in a strop for no reason."

Ginny grunted at her brother and started leaving. Ron followed her, not saying anything. As they reached the exit, she whirled around and stuck her finger into her brother's chest, unable to control her anger.

"You had no right to do that. I would have told Harry myself."

Ron's face turned pink, but he didn't look away. "Would you have, though?"

Ginny felt too many emotions all at once. She just growled at her brother as she walked quickly to her car. She wasn't sure which thing she was more cheesed off at – her brother's assumption or the fact that he might have a point. _Would_ she have told Harry? She didn't like mentioning that time of her life at all. Ginny hated the fact that now it had become something that needed to be 'talked about.' With the one person she had wanted to keep away from it.

Ron caught up to her at her car and placed a hand on her arm, which he quickly removed when she glared at him. He looked sad at her reaction, and Ginny suddenly felt like an idiot for being mad at him. He had only been looking out for her, after all.

"I'm sorry, Ron. Thank you for coming to tell me. I…appreciate it."

After a moment, Ron gave her a lopsided smile. "Being with Harry really _has_ changed you. I thought for sure you were going to take a whack at me there."

"I almost did," Ginny admitted. She wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him tightly.

"You call me if you need to talk or anything, okay?" Ron said when they broke apart. "You're the only sister I have, and I have to say since Harry has calmed you down, I kind of like you."

"Hah," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Why do all my brothers think they're comedians?"

"We _are_ comedians; we don't just think it. Well, maybe except Percy. He's never funny on purpose."

They said goodbye, and Ginny got into Pig, heading for home. She hoped Harry wouldn't mind if they just grabbed something to eat and stayed in tonight. They had some things to discuss.

o-o-o-o-o

When Ginny got home, she frowned as she realized Harry wasn't there yet. She checked her mobile and saw two messages from him. Ginny listened to them and couldn't help but smile – the first one was just to say he loved her, and the second one was that he was stopping at their favorite Indian takeaway place and bringing food with him. Sometimes she couldn't help but fall in love with him just a little bit more each day.

Ginny poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the couch, wanting her mind to be pleasantly blank for just a few moments. She closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths, releasing them slowly. After Riddle had terrorized her, she had seen a psychologist for a few weeks, and to this day, the breathing exercises had been the best thing she'd learned from the whole experience. Ginny took a drink and let the light and crisp taste of the wine work its way through her, and she sighed.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized she didn't see the post on her desk. She wondered if Harry had forgotten to get it for her. She put her wine glass down and slipped her shoes back on, grabbing the letterbox key. As Ginny made her way downstairs, her downstairs neighbor, Mrs Crockford popped her head out her door.

"Ginny, dear! I thought it might be that beau of yours! You two aren't fighting, I hope?"

Ginny bit back a laugh. "No, Mrs Crockford –"

"Doris, please, dear."

"Doris, no, we're not fighting. He stopped to grab us something to eat."

"You young people, always eating out. Well, you make sure to tell him I said hello."

Ginny nodded, smiling as the older woman went back inside. She wasn't thinking of anything as she made her way to the owl-shaped letterboxes and wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Ginny realized she'd made a wrong turn and stopped suddenly. She had almost reached the end of the property without realizing it and saw the brick fence that surrounded the complex just beyond. She felt a strange sensation as though she were being watched, and she shivered without realizing it.

"Bloody hell, Ron's got me seeing things that aren't even there," she said to herself, looking around. There was nothing unusual going on, and no one else was about. Shaking herself, Ginny turned back around and finally found her way back along the right path.

After grabbing the post, Ginny went the long way back to her flat, still feeling restless. She wanted to see if Harry had arrived yet since he often parked on this side of the building. She smiled when she spied him just pulling in to his regular spot and hurried her step.

"Fancy meeting you here," she called, coming around to the driver's side. He smiled at her through the window.

"I heard there was a hungry woman around. You wouldn't happen to know where she lives, do you?" Harry asked as he got out of the Jeep. "I've got her favorite, Chicken Korma, with extra naan."

Ginny chuckled and hugged him, kissing his cheek. "I think I might know where she keeps herself."

Harry grabbed the takeaway bags from the other side of the Jeep, and they headed back to her flat. He looked at her as she took his hand into hers.

"All right?" he asked.

Ginny sighed and glanced at him. "I talked to Ron."

Harry didn't say anything but squeezed her hand. They walked upstairs (Ginny was surprised Mrs Crockford hadn't opened her door again), and she put the post on the desk and grabbed them some plates as Harry unpacked the bags.

After they had settled back on the settee, with their food and drinks, they ate in silence for a few minutes, each enjoying their dishes. After she felt the need to stuff her gob had passed, Ginny sighed and put down her plate, sitting cross-legged in the corner of the settee. She finished off her wine as Harry kept eating. When he too was done, he lay his plate down on the ground and looked at her. She knew without even saying anything that Harry somehow, already understood. She smiled faintly and put her glass down as he opened his arms to her. She crawled over the settee and placed herself in his lap, his arms surrounding her. Ginny buried her head on his chest. Harry soothed her, murmuring to her and stroking her hair.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about him," Harry finally said.

Ginny met his gaze, reaching up to kiss him briefly. "I know," she said when they broke apart. "But you deserve to know everything."

"What else is there to know?"

Ginny sighed and sat back so they could look at each other. Harry took hold of her hand, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Well, like I originally said in my letter, Tom…Tom was very charming. He was handsome, too. I think…I think a part of me was flattered at first. Even though nothing romantic happened between us, I…I am ashamed to admit it, but I liked the attention."

Harry nodded at her after she stopped, as though to encourage her on. Ginny felt relieved that she didn't see any judgment on Harry's face.

"He…he was very easy to talk to, like I said, _charming_. I probably overshared with him. I sometimes think…I sometimes think, in my darker moments, that that was what inspired him to latch on to me. Why he became obsessed, even though I know it's stupid – he's mental, it wouldn't have mattered what I did or didn't do, but…still…"

Ginny stopped and looked down at their joined hands, her stomach feeling as though it were doing somersaults. Perhaps she shouldn't have eaten anything first.

"You feel like you flirted with him," Harry said, his voice neutral. Ginny frowned at him but didn't see any condemnation in his look.

"I don't feel like I did, I…I _did_ do it. It's why I'm wary of new people now. Although I'm glad Romilda Vane cheesed me off enough to overcome it and snog your brains out that night. Or we might never be here, together, having this conversation."

Harry chuckled and rubbed her arm. "I'm glad, too. Like I said before, Gin, that snog changed my life."

Ginny smiled with affection at him and then continued her story. "When I realized something was off about Tom, I pulled back. Kept my distance. I told Ron the first time Tom ever showed up at my work, uninvited, that it was disconcerting. Then he showed up at my flat, my old flat – he'd charmed his way in the first time by flirting with my landlady, and she let him in, thinking he was my 'special' friend. I was enraged and scared both at the same time. That was when Ron told me to go to the police, but I didn't listen. I thought Tom was just…misunderstanding me."

"You thought because you had flirted him, you owed him something," Harry said wisely.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I did. And he used that to worm his way into my life even more. He called me all the time. If I hung out with someone at work or was seen with someone he didn't know, he'd call and call until I told him who it was. I felt trapped – like I couldn't even smile at anyone. He'd be out there, watching me, seeing me talk with other people, and getting jealous. This went on for a few weeks until Ron frog-marched me down to the station to talk to his friend Neville Longbottom. He's a Detective Sargent, and was more than happy to talk to Tom and tell him to back off."

"But it only made it worse, didn't it?" Harry asked knowingly.

"Did Ron tell you this already?" she asked, surprised by his insight into the situation.

"I just know the type of bloke this Riddle is like. I, unfortunately, saw a similar attitude from some of the blokes while playing football. It's an arrogance thing. They can't handle anyone telling them no. If I saw any of them giving a girl a hard time, I tried to step in and stop them. I got into a fair amount of scraps with people, on and off the field. Thankfully, instead of telling me to mind my own business, Sirius helped me, and we got a few of them knocked down a few pegs."

"I changed my number, but Tom somehow got ahold of it again after a few weeks. And I would come home from work, and I just knew he'd been inside the flat. Even though my landlady swore she never let him in again, I think he had a key made. It was nerve-wracking, Harry. Things I put away, were suddenly out again. Or my clothes were hung up differently, or messages on my answering machine were gone." Ginny paused, running a hand through her hair, feeling that familiar twist of anxiety pass through her again.

"I stopped living in my flat and stayed with Mum and Dad for a while. He stopped for a bit then, mostly because they lived so far away and were so insulated. Fred and George moved back home to around, too. No one wanted me to be alone while it appeared he was escalating. Neville tried everything he could to get some sort of police action. I finally had to get a restraining order in place, and even though they never proved it, I'm sure he broke it fairly regularly. He just knew too many things. He knew where I'd be too often not to be snooping into my business, you know?"

"How did they finally…get him?" Harry asked

"Neville's DCI, Kingsley Shacklebolt, remembered something he'd read in another case from a few years back, where a woman had complained of similar occurrences with a bloke. It turns out that bloke was Tom, except he went by another name, Marvolo or something. It was really down to Kingsley and Neville doing their due diligence that made us believe we had a case against him. I went back to staying in my flat again. We tried to catch Tom in the act, and we eventually did. Meanwhile, Neville had found a few other girls he'd bothered before, and two were willing to press charges. One of them, Tom had…become violent with. He tried to kidnap her and physically hurt her. It was her testimony that helped put him away."

"Did you keep in touch with her at all?" Harry asked.

"No, but I think Neville did. I sort of wanted to put the whole thing behind me. Look where that got me. I'm a neurotic mess."

Harry gave her a small smile. "Turn around, Gin. Let's just snuggle on the settee for a while."

Ginny nodded and turned so that her back was resting against Harry's chest. He rested his head on top of hers, and she felt herself begin to relax again. He ran a comforting hand against her arm, slowly lulling her into complacency.

"You must think I'm incredibly dense or a wet hose pipe for all of this," Ginny finally said. Harry wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her closer to him.

"To be honest, I think you're brave."

Ginny snorted. "Sometimes being foolhardy looks like bravery, Harry." She felt rather than heard Harry laugh.

"You don't talk to anyone about this much, do you?"

Ginny shook her head. "At first, I was embarrassed and then…well, my family think I'm over it. Well, except maybe Ron. I never could fool him very well, even when we were kids."

"Promise me that you'll never be afraid to bring it up? If something is bothering you?" Harry moved his head so he could look at her profile. Ginny turned her head to meet his eyes.

"Okay, I promise."

"Good. Now, how about we just sit here and watch an old movie on the telly and then toddle off to bed like an old married couple?"

Ginny nodded, and Harry reached for the remote to her television. She snuggled into his arms and let him find something to watch. Ginny felt better for having talked about everything. But she still couldn't shake the feeling that until she knew for sure whether Tom Riddle was going to be out and about again that she was going to be a massive ball of nerves. She would just have to take each day at a time, she reckoned. She had Harry now, and they had each other, and Ginny felt strength in that.

o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, Ginny woke up to the most delicious scent and realized that Harry had gotten up early to make her breakfast. Shaking her head, she grabbed her dressing gown and tied it around her waist as she wandered out to the kitchen. She almost laughed out loud at the image she was witnessing. Harry was cooking at the stove, in his pants, with a pair of earphones on. _Dancing_.

Ginny bit her lip as Harry shook his hips, facing away from her, apparently reaching a very _energetic_ part of the music. He whirled around suddenly, and the spoon he'd been using as a microphone went flying out of his hand when he spotted her.

"Ginny!" Harry's skin turned scarlet. He hurriedly reached up and pulled his headphones out of his ears. "Er, I didn't um… hear you get up."

"I noticed," she said, smirking at him. She closed her eyes and breathed in. "That smells amazing, Harry. What are you making?"

"Eggs. Er, well, my special version. With cheddar, mushrooms, dill, and some scallions you had in your veg drawer."

"I had scallions?" Ginny said, looking at the hodgepodge of ingredients he'd thrown together.

"Apparently, ahem. Here, let me, the kettle is warm, and the Earl Grey is already steeping, go see if it's strong enough for you." Harry gently pushed her out of the way and put his music player down on the counter. Ginny grinned at his back and let her hand move downwards. A moment later, Harry uttered a squeaking sort of noise, and then he growled at her.

"No need to pinch my backside just for making your breakfast, is there?"

Ginny merely blinked at him over her teacup as she tested the tea. Nodding in approval, she turned to make a proper cup and looked at him from the side.

"I hope nothing splatters," she said, smiling.

Harry pursed his lips at her and didn't say anything. A ding suddenly sounded, and Harry bent over to look into the oven. He grinned at her as he grabbed her oven gloves and slipped the giant claws over his hands. A moment later, he pulled out a tin of fresh-baked strawberry scones, and Ginny felt her stomach rumble.

"Harry! You are really impressing me today. First, the sexy-pants dance and now baked goods. You're going to make a girl swoon."

"Hah, never mind about the dancing. Just go sit down, and I'll bring everything over to you, you ungrateful wench."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him but did as he requested and sighed, letting the tea work its magic on her. Soon Harry was putting a fresh plate of food in front of her, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Harry. You're lovely. And I'm sorry I pinched your bottom. It's just such a nice one that I couldn't resist after seeing it in action."

Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and they started to eat. Ginny smirked at him. "Do you always dance while cooking breakfast?"

"No. But Sirius always likes to play music when he bakes. I reckon it rubbed off on me."

Ginny dipped her knife into the jar of clotted cream next to her and finally tried the scone. Her eyes widened. "Harry! This is…this is brilliant."

He smiled. "Sirius's recipe. Quite easy to make, really. Except he used satsumas. I think it works better with strawberry."

Ginny took another bite and closed her eyes, relishing the taste. She took a hearty drink of her tea and sighed. "Oh, I could just die happy now."

"Well, don't do that. Ian would be angry if I killed one of his favorite employees."

Ginny giggled. "Can you imagine? Death by scone!"

Harry laughed and reached out for her hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better this morning. You are, aren't you?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. I am. I think talking about it helped. I mean, so what if they let him out? I've got you here, and my family will help me if he tries anything. He hasn't contacted me in almost five years, and maybe he truly has moved on."

"Well, if he does try anything, he'd be an idiot. They'd throw him right back in there, I think."

After they finished eating, Ginny started cleaning up (it was only fair), and Harry was playing with his mobile. She brought the rest of the coffee over for him and poured it into his cup. After she put the dishes in the machine, she smiled at him.

"Want to conserve water and shower with me?"

Harry looked up from him mobile, grinning. "Do you have time before work? We might get distracted."

"Well, see, my boyfriend is the _owner_ , and I'm sure he'd be okay with it."

Harry stood up, in more than one way, she noticed with a slight thrill and went to her.

"Do you think?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I heard he's the silent but commanding type."

Ginny laughed. "How can he be both?"

Harry kissed her soundly. He grinned at her as he started removing her dressing gown. "Sheer animal magnetism, Gin."

Ginny snorted and let him lead her towards the bedroom. "You sound like Sirius, now."

Harry paused and looked sheepish for a moment. "Sorry."

"No, I kind of liked it. You are adorable when you're trying to be dead sexy."

Harry stopped, looking troubled. "I have to try now?"

Ginny laughed, retaking hold of his hand. "You're always dead sexy to me, Harry, even when you're sort of cheeky. Especially when you're cheeky."

He grinned widely. "Good, because honestly, the effort to go against my true nature was _killing_ me."

Ginny looked at the bed. "You know what? Sod the shower, let's just do it." She shifted out of her dressing gown and moved her hand down his body, taking hold of him through the pleat in his boxers.

Harry kissed her, and she worked her hand around him, beginning to stroke his erection. They turned until Harry's back was facing the bed, and she pushed him down, smiling at him. Ginny lowered herself so that she was eye-level with his body and took him into her mouth. He grunted with pleasure as she nestled in between his legs. Harry's hand worked its way to the side of her face, caressing her cheek. He held her hair out of the way for her. She used her hand to cup him firmly and moved her mouth down the length of him. A few moments later, he whispered her name, his voice full of need.

Reluctantly, Ginny pulled away, standing up again. His eyes were dark behind his glasses, and he reached for her. She lowered herself down upon him and kissed him as she moved. He slid into her, and Ginny shuddered, loving the sensation. She was elevated slightly higher than him and loved looking down as she moved. Harry brought his mouth down to her breasts, and she let her hands get lost in his messy black hair. He held her completely steady, his hands on her back, keeping her in place. Ginny loved riding him this way; she felt utterly in control.

"Harry," she murmured, and he pulled his mouth away from her body, looking up at her. She nodded and placed her hands on his shoulders. He knew what she wanted before she could even ask – he shifted and rested his weight on his hands and let her take over. He watched her as she moved, and they didn't need words to understand each other. Ginny slowed her pace, shifting forward with her hips as Harry grunted in response. She brought her mouth down to his and kissed him, letting her hand work its way into his hair again. Ginny pushed forward with her hips, suddenly wanting to feel _more_.

Harry brought his hands around to her back again, holding her. Ginny felt safe and loved as she saw the expression on his face. Harry lay back, and she went with him, still feeling him pulse deep inside her. He shifted upwards and thrust, and she swore, tearing her mouth away from his. He pulled her closer to him, gripping her backside.

They turned over as Harry settled on top of her. His glasses slid forward, and she grinned up at him. He shook his head slightly, as though self-conscious, and she reached up and put her hand on his chest.

"You're adorable," she murmured, and two high spots of color appeared on his cheeks. She brought her legs up and wrapped them around his middle. He pushed forward, and Ginny arched her back, moaning in approval. "Faster, Harry," Ginny demanded, and he obliged. She felt her body reaching that edge as he hit that spot deep inside her. Harry leaned forward, resting on one arm, bringing his hand in between their bodies, using his fingers to stimulate her just where she needed it. Ginny tossed her head back and forth, her hair getting in her face as she felt herself begin to let go. She dug her nails into his arms as he rotated his hips and tightened her legs around him.

"Fuck!" she cried out as she came, a sudden burst of sensation breaking out across her body. Harry shifted and started thrusting in earnest again until she felt him shudder, a litany of prayers and invocations of quite the rude nature falling from his lips. He finally stilled and then lowered himself down, resting his head alongside hers. She felt his fingers lifting her hair off of her face and smiled. They gazed at each other, both of their breathing coming fast.

"I love you," Harry said, touching her face.

"Hmm, I noticed," Ginny said as they shifted. Harry pulled out of her, and they lay next to each other, their hands still touching each other's bodies. She would never get tired of _this_ – being with him in every way and always wanting there to be more. Harry had turned on a switch inside her that she never wanted to turn off.

"Good God, I love you," she murmured, and he smiled as he closed his eyes. She removed his glasses for him and rested her forehead against his. "You always manage to bring out my inner wanton sex kitten, somehow."

Harry chuckled and looked at her, his eyes crinkled in mirth. "What does that _mean_ , exactly?"

Ginny sighed. "It means I want to have my way with you seven ways to Sunday, but I have to work, so you'll have to put up with just this brief shag until later."

Harry sighed happily and rolled over onto his back as she got up. He had a sleepy look on his face as he stretched, and she shook her head.

"I'll just shower without you then?" She asked a few minutes later, looking over at him.

"Hmm," Harry said as he smiled at her but didn't move. His eyes were already closed again.

"Men," Ginny said, chuckling.

She took a quick shower, deciding not to wash her hair because she didn't have the time. When she came back out of the loo, Harry had managed to move the right way on the bed, and the comforter pulled up around him. Ginny could just make out the black tuft of his hair sticking up against the pillow. Shaking her head, she grabbed her clothes and decided to finish getting dressed in the sitting area so as not to wake him.

Ginny found her mobile on the desk and noticed that she had missed a call from Hermione last night. Frowning, she knew her sister-in-law probably just wanted to check on her. She dialed their home number first, and Hermione answered first thing.

"Hi, Hermione," Ginny said as she started putting her lunch together.

"Ginny! How are you doing with… you know. The Riddle stuff?"

"Better than I was yesterday, please let Ron know. Harry and I had a long talk about it."

"How did that go?"

Ginny paused, leaning on her counter. "You know, it went really well, Hermione. Harry's…he's a good listener. You know I'm still awkward about the whole…thing and he didn't judge me or make me feel bad in any way. It was sort of …well, brilliant, really."

"Of course, he wouldn't judge you! Oh, Ginny, I wish I could convince you there is nothing to be judged for. Well, I just wanted to check on you. When is your next day off? Let's grab lunch, just the two of us. I need to hear all about your sex life these days."

"Hermione!" Ginny said, laughing. "That was scandalous. I approve. I'm off on Thursday, do you have time?"

"For you, always. I also have some news, but I think I'll keep you in suspense for a bit."

Ginny chuckled, and they rang off after a few more minutes. She grabbed her lunch and her bag, making sure she had everything. She stopped at the desk and grabbed a pen, leaving a note for Harry to find later. With that done, Ginny headed outside, ready to start her day. In more ways than one. It felt like it was a new beginning for her – Harry, her job, everything, and anything felt _possible_. Tom 'bleedin' Riddle could just _piss_ off.

o-o-o-o-o


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author’s Note: This chapter includes a nod to one of my favorite British mystery shows. Let’s see who can spot it. ;)_ **

* * *

Neville Longbottom, DS for most of the Devon area, greeted the tea lady as he usually did on his way into the local station. He spent half his time in Devon proper and the other half of his time visiting the smaller, local villages. It was what his DI preferred, and Neville rather enjoyed it. It gave him time to enjoy the bucolic English countryside, and he could always explain away his ‘stops’ as business instead of what they really were – ways for Neville to indulge in his hobby, botany. He had a new group of cuttings and fresh mushrooms from his stop this morning already in the boot of his car.

“Oi! Longbottom!” A voice shouted at him from across the car park and he stopped, looking around. He saw Terry Boot, one of the local constables waving at him. Neville waited for Boot to reach him.

“All right, Terry?”

“That report you asked for, the one on all the visitors that Riddle bloke has had since being in prison? It’s on your desk, as promised.”

Neville. “Thanks, Terry. Brilliant.”

"Why are you interested in him, anyway? He’s been a model prisoner from what everyone says about him. One of the good stories of come about because of rehabilitation.”

Neville looked at the other man, knowing a frown was forming on his face. “He terrorized more than a couple of women before he got put away. More than we ever found out about, I just know it. My friend’s sister and…Hannah, among others, were involved. I just want to make sure he's not hiding anything.”

Terry nodded, looking serious. "Sorry, Nev, I didn't know Hannah had been caught up in it. I reckon I’d be paying close attention to him too.”

Neville smiled. “It’s all right. Besides, it was the blasted case that brought Hannah into my life, so it’s not all bad. I just want to be able to reassure her that Riddle’s not going to cause any more harm.”

They parted ways at the staircase, and Neville entered his office, now wishing he’d stopped at the tea lady and got himself a nice cuppa to start his day. Maybe he’d have one of the officers pop down in a few and get one. It was one of the privileges of being a DS – ordering one's underlings to fetch tea. It was a time and honored tradition in the entire police force, and Neville was never one to rock the boat of its traditions.

He spied the folder Boot had mentioned and grabbed it as he sat down, scanning through the names. Neville frowned.

“Now _that’s_ interesting,” he murmured out loud and kept reading, the idea of tea, and everything else, immediately forgotten.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry pulled into the car park of the Dawlish Center, armed with doughnuts and all of the papers for the insurance claim Ian had wanted him to drop by. He was excited because he would unexpectedly get to see Ginny for a few minutes, and the idea of that always made Harry happy. He entered the Center and heard cheering going on in one of the training rooms, and knew one of the trainers must be doing a class. Sometimes during the day, while most of the children were in school (at least, he hoped), the Centers offered courses for seniors or any adult who wanted to get more exercise but lacked the resources or encouragement.

He stopped by Ian’s office first, not finding him. Harry put the papers on his desk and left a note informing his secretary that there would be doughnuts if he got into the other office quickly enough.

He poked his head into the employee offices and smiled, his eyes finding Ginny immediately. She typed something on her computer, her bottom lip between her teeth, and she looked as though she was concentrating with everything she had. He glanced over and saw Arabella through the door to her office, talking on the phone, looking frazzled. One or two of the desks were empty, but everyone else looked hard at work. He cleared his throat and came into the room.

“You lot look like you need sugar. These are fresh and just out of the oven from _Dobby’s Doughnut_ shop.”

Ginny looked up from her computer, a bright smile breaking across her face at the sound of his voice. A few minor cheers went up as the rest of the office looked excited at the prospect of free, delicious sugar. After everyone had crowded around him to get a doughnut, Arabella came out of her office.

“Harry, love! Brilliant! I was just thinking we could use a mid-day nosh. Jason, put the kettle on.”

Harry grabbed a doughnut for Ginny and handed the box to Padma Patil to finish passing them out. He walked over to Ginny’s desk, smiling.

“Hey, Gin,” he murmured. Harry waved the doughnut at her. “Feeling peckish?”

Ginny nodded. "I am. What a great idea, thank you for this. Now I can work through lunch and get off early.”

“Let’s go for a walk,” Harry said, tugging on her hand. Ginny grabbed her security card.

"Come on. We can walk in the gymnasium. It should be empty about this time.”

They made their way to the small yet quite useful gym the Center had for running and actual football games – it came complete with a little cheering section of stands and a foot and running path. Harry turned to look at her as the door swung shut behind them.

“You’re not going to eat lunch because I brought you one doughnut?”

Ginny, who was already eating said doughnut, smiled at him. “No, but I’ll just snack at my desk and work through. I thought we could go out tonight.”

"Oh, you did, did you? Just taking it for granted, I'm available, are we?" Harry raised his eyebrow at her.

“Well, do you have plans?” Ginny asked, licking her fingers. Harry realized that was the fastest he’d ever seen anyone eat.

"I have to talk to Remus and Dora about something, but I suppose I could be coerced into taking you out after that.”

Ginny raised her eyebrow at him. “I have to coerce you now?”

Harry grinned as they continued walking, joining hands. He looked down at their hands and smirked.

“Glad I picked the side with the _un-sticky_ hand.”

"Git," Ginny said, laughing, shaking her head at him. “What are you talking to your uncle about?”

“Their wedding. I want to make sure they're not rushing it to avoid the end of the month."

Ginny nodded and squeezed his hand, moving closer to him. “Your parents?”

“Yeah,” Harry said simply. “I want to start celebrating their life - our life - everyone’s life. We shouldn’t be in mourning anymore.”

“Harry, taking the day to remember them isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

“No, I know. But Sirius telling me about Remus and Dora being mindful of having it during the early part of October because of me made me really just… want to move on. It also helps that I have this incredible girlfriend to help me, should things get too much. Knowing you're here for me, Gin makes all the difference. I hope you know that.”

Harry pulled her to him and looked around to make sure they were still alone. Ginny had a faint blush on her face as he moved his mouth down to hers.

“I’m not sure I should be snogging the boss at work,” she murmured, her eyes dancing as she looked at him.

"You're not kissing Ian. You're kissing me," Harry said, smiling.

“Harry…”

Ginny didn’t get far in her protests as Harry finally moved that extra distance and covered her mouth with his. She was soon responding with only a slight hesitation and felt a thrill of desire run through him. She eventually pulled away first, sounding a bit breathless.

“You are an utterly bad influence on me, Harry Potter. It's the middle of the workday, and all I want to do right now is shag you senseless."

Harry chuckled and stepped away, feeling his skin heat. "Where? Right here? Or over there?" He pointed his head to the left. Ginny looked over his shoulder and laughed.

“You want to have sex on the pommel horse? Why, Harry, that’s so…kinky.”

Harry looked at the object in question and snorted. “Yeah, you might have a point. Ah well, come on, let’s get you back to work so you can hurry up and get done.”

“Where should we eat?” Ginny asked as they cut across the middle of the track.

“Oh, leave it to me,” Harry said.

"Someplace new, yeah?"

Harry smiled. “Yeah.”

“I’ll see you at 4:30 at my place, or do you want me to meet you at yours?" Ginny asked as they reached the door.

“Hmm, mine, unless you need to change?”

Ginny shook her head. “I have a change of clothes in my car.”

Harry stopped her before she opened the door and pulled her close, kissing her again. When he pulled away, he winked at her. 

“That’s why I love you, Red; you’re always prepared.”

“Because _you_ always keep me on my toes," Ginny said, and then she was gone, heading back towards the office. Harry smiled and watched her walk away, admiring the view. Feeling cheered and a bit more favorable for some reason, he headed back to the Jeep eager to get the rest of his day started.

o-o-o-o-o

Neville waited for his friend Ron Weasley to finish with his patient. He stared up at the board the clinic had outside the patient/coaching rooms and suddenly felt the need to eat better and to exercise more. A few minutes later, the door opened behind him, and he turned to see Ron helping a little girl with elbow crutches. The little girl was adorable, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and Neville smiled at her.

"All right now, Deidre, let's go find your Mum. Do you want to keep walking, or are you tired from your exercises?”

Deidre looked up at Ron, frowning. “I am sort of tired, Mr Weasley. But I don’t want to look like a lazy…er, my brother says git. I don’t want to look like a lazy git!”

Ron appeared to bite back a laugh. “You won’t look like a lazy git, I promise. You’ve had a good work out today, and I’ll fight anyone who says differently. Even your brother.”

Deidre giggled and nodded at him. Ron glanced at Neville, smiling. He reached down and picked Deidre up and put her on his shoulders, her crutches hanging at the side of her arms. “Deidre, this is Neville, he’s going to remove your crutches for me, is that all right?”

Deidre nodded, and Neville reached forward, looking for the clasp to remove each crutch. He handed them back to Ron when he finished removing them.

“Thanks, mate,” Ron said, smiling at him. “I’ll just be a mo’.”

“Take your time,” Neville murmured and watched as Ron started walking towards the back of the clinic. The little girl giggled and waved goodbye to Neville, her blonde, curly hair bouncing as Ron began to walk. 

Five minutes later, Ron joined him. “Let’s go into my office where we can have a nice cuppa. Also, Hermione gave me some chocolate biscuits this morning, and I’ve been dreaming of them ever since I got to work.”

After they were settled, with tea and biscuits (Neville could admit they were quite good biscuits at that), he saw Ron give him a shrewd look.

“He’s getting out, isn’t he?”

Neville sighed. “Probably. I haven’t heard yet, but most likely, yes.”

“Damn,” Ron swore under his breath. Then he frowned at Neville. “I like seeing you, Nev, don’t get me wrong. You and Hannah need to come 'round and have dinner with us, but you didn't show up here today for a chat. What's up?"

"Well, I had a co-worker pull all of Riddle's visitors since he's been inside. For the first year or so, no one. Then…well, have you been to that new restaurant in Godric’s Hollow, _The Herbed Serpent_?”

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, I think we did go, a few months back to celebrate Harry and Ginny finally pulling their heads out their backsides and realizing they were crazy about each other. Why?”

“Did you meet the owner at all or the chef? The owner is a tall, blonde man –“

“Who walks with a cane and looks like a right git? Yeah, we met him. Sort of. He greeted Harry, asked after his injury.”

“His name is Lucius Malfoy,” Neville said, pausing as he took a drink of his tea. “His son is the head chef, Draco Malfoy. Lucius built the place for him."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I think we talked about that. Are you telling me the Malfoy's visited Riddle while he was in prison? What the hell?"

“Yeah, but that’s not even the weird part. Not only did the Malfoy’s visit him, but after they started a whole slew of people visited him. I’m running background checks on all of them, but the Malfoys stood out to me. Mostly because we had the son in for questioning a while back, and his father stood out as a real piece of work."

“What was the issue?”

Neville sighed. “The younger Malfoy was a bit of a troublemaker – getting into fights, throwing his money around. This was before his father shipped him off to France to learn how to be a chef. He would get pissed and then try to run into people with his car like it was a game. He never actually hurt anyone because apparently, he's a tosser with bad aim, but he did manage to run into quite a bit of street signs and other people's cars.”

“Blimey,” Ron said, shaking his head. “Sounds like a great guy.”

Neville shrugged. “He had a serious chip on his shoulder when he was younger. I haven’t seen him since he left and came back. One would hope he’d grown up a bit. Pretty sure his father threatened to disown him unless he straightened out. Having spent time with his father, I can't say I blame Draco for acting out." Neville shuddered as he considered it. Saying the elder Malfoy was a wanker was unkind to wankers everywhere.

“Why are they visiting Tom Riddle in prison, though?” Ron asked after a moment.

Neville shook his head. “Not a clue, mate. I thought if I mentioned his name to you, you’d come out with some old family story about theirs or something. I didn’t even realize Riddle knew them! I would think they ran in different social circles.”

The two men sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their thoughts. Ron ran his hand through his hair and gave Neville a direct look.

“So what do you reckon? Do you think Riddle has plans that involve Ginny or…Hannah? And the Malfoy’s are going to bankroll him?”

Neville sighed at his friend, putting his teacup on the desk in front of him. “Honestly, Ron? I don’t know, but it makes me nervous. I haven’t mentioned all this to Kingsley yet. He’s busy solving a murder out in Midsomer. But…I don’t care what the prison officials say about Riddle’s ‘good behavior.' The man is rotten. No matter how much he tries to hide it or charm his way into society again. And eventually, that rotten quality will out. He's not going to be happy until he hurts someone. I know the type."

“Do you think he’s still fixated on Ginny?” Ron asked, looking pale.

Neville shrugged. "She is the one who got away, after all. Hannah…well, she never really talks about her experience, but she did say one time that after Tom tried to hurt her, they had a moment in which she felt dismissed. Like, he got what he wanted, and she was beneath him, after that. The way she explained it always stayed with me.”

“He never got to hurt Ginny,” Ron said, frowning. “So you think that means he’s going to go after her again?”

“Maybe, maybe not. He won’t do the same thing again, I don’t think. But you should tell Ginny to keep an eye out for anything that feels off.”

“Bloody hell,” Ron muttered, looking disturbed. Neville suddenly felt terrible.

“Sorry, mate, but I did want to let you know.”

Ron gave him a half-smile. “And I appreciate it Nev, thanks. It’s good to know what we might be dealing with. I did speak to Ginny, and…well, she was upset, as you can guess. But she's in a good place right now with her job and Harry. I think she's just plowing ahead in that infamous Weasley manner we have.”

Neville laughed as he stood up. “Yeah, I know how that goes. You lot are unstoppable.”

They made plans to get together soon for dinner, and Neville made his way back out to his car. He wanted to see how they were doing on the background checks on all the other visitors to Riddle. But he also had the urge to take a quick walk in one of the fields between here and the station. Sighing, he turned his car towards Langport, deciding he’d take the long way back to work after all.

o-o-o-o-o

It was a little bit after three when Harry made it back to his house, and he knew Dora and Remus would be in. He parked the Jeep on the drive, his signal to Sirius that he wouldn't need it later and headed inside. 

"Hello?" Harry called out as he entered, and Dora poked her head out of the kitchen doorway.

“Wotcher, Harry! Haven’t seen you in ages, come here!”

Harry smirked as Dora pulled him in for a fierce hug. He stopped smiling when she ruffled his hair, winking at him. He pulled away and tried to straighten his hair down again. Dora made an 'aw' noise and did a mock frown at him. Harry said hello to Remus, who was sitting at the table.

“My long-lost ward, as I live and breathe,” Remus said, laughing at him. “Join us for tea, Harry?”

“Just a little something, please,” Harry said, nodding at Dora. “I’m taking Ginny out for dinner later. Is Sirius home too?”

“Nah, he’s blown us off for his girlfriend,” Dora said as she stirred something on the hob. It smelled like sautéed mushrooms to Harry, and his stomach grumbled in approval. 

“Thought Zee was in London this week?”

"Ah, but she came back early because the work was over," Remus said, his eyes sparkling. "We think it's because she just didn't like being away from His Highness."

Harry snorted and smiled as Dora served him a plate of what looked like mushroom strudel. She gave him a cup of coffee instead of tea, and he nodded approval. She set down water-cress sandwiches and a Bakewell tart as well.

“So we’ll see him a few days when he comes up for air,” Dora said, smiling. “Harry, you should have seen him bolt out of here earlier when she called and said she was back at her place. I think there were actual scorch marks from the door to the drive.”

“Oh, no, we’re not dating,” Harry said, doing his best impersonation of Sirius. Remus and Dora laughed, and they ate in silence for a bit. Harry finished his strudel and then put his fork down, clearing his throat.

“So, speaking of Sirius, he, uh…mentioned you two had picked a date.”

Remus and Dora smiled at each other, and she reached out and took Remus's hand. "We have," she said, turning back to Harry. “We thought around the 10th of October. Just a small get together of everyone we like and love.”

“Seems early if you want to plan a decent shindig,” Harry said pointedly, and Remus frowned at him.

"It's not too early, and besides, the end of the month is…"

“The anniversary. Yeah, Sirius may have mentioned you two moved it because of that. Look, I’m here to let you guys know that if you’d rather do it at the end of the month, do it. Don’t worry about my feelings. I’m good. I’ve got Ginny, and you know what? I don’t think my parents would want me moping around every October, anyway. They were madly in love, and you two are madly in love, and honestly, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate them than by you two celebrating _you_.”

“Well, the original hall I liked in Chawleigh was booked on the 10th, but they were open on the 30th… and it is the most romantic place…” Dora began, and Remus squeezed her hand.

"Are you sure about this, Harry?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded. “Yeah. Completely. Move it to the 30th, have the wedding of your dreams, Dora. And you too, Remus. I want you guys to be happy. I love you. Both of you."

Dora's eyes watered, and she reached out and squeezed his shoulder. She looked at Remus, who smiled at them.

“Thank you, Harry. That means a lot. I know Dora had her heart set on St James for the ceremony, and the hall in Chawleigh is quite beautiful."

“It’s bloody gorgeous!" Dora exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It's like something out of a storybook, Harry. Wait until you see it! Oh, I have to call my Mum and let her know immediately. She was starting to organize things already.”

Dora jumped up and ran to where she kept her mobile, and the two men smiled at each other. Remus nodded at him.

“Thanks for that. Now I’ll get to suffer through wedding plans for a _whole_ month.”

Harry chuckled. “You’re welcome, uncle. It was the least I could do.”

Harry smiled as they heard Dora squeal in happiness to her mother on the phone. He was glad he had stopped to talk to them. He knew he might be putting the horse before the cart; the end of October could very well depress the hell out of him – Harry was never sure how the anniversary of his parent’s death would affect him, but he was willing to get through it if it meant the people he loved were happy.

o-o-o-o-o

“Harry.”

“Hmm?”

“When you said you’d take me out tonight, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Ginny said, propping her head over his, smiling at him.

Harry looked down at the leftover food on their now very rumpled picnic blanket and smirked at her. "You didn't specify that you wanted a restaurant. Besides, I don't think what we just finished doing would have been too enjoyable for other people to watch."

Ginny kissed him. Her skin still flushed from their exertions. "Oh, I don't know. Watching two reasonably attractive people go at it might have been fun for at least two or three of them. It's kind of exciting to think about at any rate, don’t you think?”

“This secluded wood is as out in the open as I get, Gin.”

"Hmm," she murmured, bringing her mouth down to his neck, kissing her way around until she reached his ear.

“I never took you for one that would enjoy public…nudity?” Harry asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, we weren't even naked now, if you think about it. There are just some key elements missing.”

Harry laughed, his voice carrying. “Yeah, namely my jeans and your skirt. And knickers. Where did those end up, anyway?”

They both looked around them, and then Ginny shrugged. "Maybe I'll just go without them from now on."

Harry looked at her to judge how much she was kidding, and when he saw that she was serious, he grinned. “Why, Miss Weasley, are you trying to start round two? Because I have to say that the idea of you going around… _regimental_ , is causing a small blood supply issue.”

“Tease,” Ginny said, biting his lower lip. Her hand dipped down to stroke him, and Harry shuddered, amazed at his body’s quick response.

"I never tease," he murmured, shifting under her so that she was entirely on top of him.

“I’ll say, although you said a _small_ blood supply issue, and I don’t know, this feels sort of big,” Ginny whispered, her brown eyes sparkling at his.

“From tiny acorns grow big oaks,” Harry murmured as he kissed her, and Ginny laughed when she pulled away. She cocked her eyebrow at him in disbelief.

“That was so cheesy, Harry!”

Harry chuckled. “But apt. I do seem to be growing at an alarming rate down here.”

They book looked down at his body, and Ginny smirked at him. “Allow me.”

She pushed gently on his chest and he propped himself back on his arms as he slipped his glasses back on to watch her. Her beautiful redhead moved down towards his middle, and he sighed as she grazed the hair on his abdomen, following it down. When she took him into her mouth, he parted his legs to give her more room. Ginny's hand was already cupping him, and he grunted, trying not to thrust into her mouth too hard. She winked at him as her mouth went down his length and then back up. She pulled her mouth away and licked her lips.

“I love sucking you off,” she murmured.

“I know,” he replied, smiling.

“It makes me hot to think of it, even," she said, and he watched her move one of her hands down between her legs. He bit his lip and hummed. Their eyes met, and Harry nodded at her.

“Let’s try something different,” Harry said, reaching for her. He made sure they had enough room and told her to lay down along his body with her face towards his middle. She cottoned on fairly quickly as to what he wanted and grinned. Ginny's arse was soon pointing at his head, and he licked his lips in anticipation. Harry promptly removed his glasses again.

Harry gently pulled her back as she lowered her head, and he sighed as her mouth found him again. He moved forward and licked at her, rewarded by her moaning against the side of his shaft. Harry shuddered and then really started to go down on her as she writhed and wriggled against his face.

Harry had the feeling that she had turned it into a competition without saying, because the more he lapped at her, the deeper she seemed to move her mouth over him. Soon they were both moving quickly towards that edge of release, and Harry was determined to bring her first. He gripped her roughly to his face, and she moaned, the delightfully intense sensation of it against his body. He thrust up without thinking as she worked his bollocks with her hand, but knew she was all right when she pushed her backside against his face in retaliation.

Harry smiled to himself as he soon felt the signs of Ginny’s release, and she pulled her mouth away from him, swearing loudly as her body crested under his tongue. Without pausing to enjoy it, she attacked his body again, almost relentlessly, and Harry soon felt himself erupting into her mouth, shouting her name out to the stillness of the dark field around them.

Both of them were panting rather heavily, and Ginny moved off of him, laying her head against his middle. He brushed his hands through her hair, cupping her face.

“Brilliant,” he murmured, and Ginny opened one eye to look at him.

“Nice way to make up for forgetting to pick up afters,” she said.

Harry smiled and lay his head back, a slight crick in his neck from all of the exertions. She shifted and lay against him, and he breathed in her flowery and fantastic scent.

“We should probably get dressed and head home,” Ginny finally said, sighing. Harry groaned and then sat up, rubbing his back.

“You know, there is something to be said for beds.”

“You act like an old man,” Ginny teased, standing up. He slipped his glasses back on and watched her get dressed.

“You’re not sore? Not even a little?”

Ginny shook her head. “Not really, but I am getting tired of getting eaten alive by these bugs.” She slapped her hand against her arm, frowning.

“They’re just attracted to your sweetness,” Harry said as he stood up. Ginny groaned at him.

“You know, if you had told me in one of your letters that you were such a sentimental softy, I might not have continued talking to you.”

Harry laughed and walked over to her. “Yes, you would have, and you love it, and you love me, and just shut up, Ginny." He kissed her soundly until she melted against him. When they broke apart, she grinned at him.

“Well, as long as you know what’s what.”

“I do,” Harry said, nodding. He looked at their mess, filled with the urge just to toss it into the boot of Ginny’s car.

“No, we’ll clean up after ourselves, Harry,” Ginny said as though reading his mind. Thankfully, they both made a short time of it and were soon all packed up, leaving the wooded area much as they'd found it. Ginny started Pig up and looked over at him. 

“I love you, do you know that?”

“I do, but thank you for saying it. Again,” Harry said, smiling at her.

“Do you ever worry everything is just…too good between us?” she asked as she backed up the car to turn it around.

Harry frowned. “I don’t think getting together was easy. It could have gone wrong in so many ways, Gin.”

As she moved the car slowly up the dirt lane they’d found, she shifted gears and glanced at him. “True, I reckon. I suppose I’m just not used to things being this great, this early, all the time.”

“Hmm,” Harry said as they finally reached the country road, the car bumping slightly as it hit the pavement. "Why worry about it, though? I'd rather worry about things with you, then worry about things between us, if you know what I mean.”

Ginny smiled. “You‘re right, of course.”

“I could be the git here and just say it’s because we’re meant to be,” Harry said, a wide grin filling his face. Ginny snorted at his expression and shook her head.

"I wish I'd known you when I was a little girl, Harry. Something tells me I would have had a hopeless crush on you, and you would have been completely oblivious."

Harry felt offended. "Hey, I'm not that thick. And besides, I would have liked your red hair and had a crush on you right back. It is my favorite color, you know."

“I know. I reckon I’m grateful you befriended Ron, and I got to know you for who you are."

"So am I, really," Harry said, looking out the darkened passenger seat window. "Just think of all the boring, conventional sex I’d be having right now.”

“Cho wasn’t adventuresome?”

Harry glanced at her to see if she was taking the mickey, but she kept her eyes straight ahead. "No, not especially. As well you know.”

“What’s the kinkiest place you guys did it?” Ginny asked, glancing at him.

Harry frowned, trying to remember and not coming up with much, sadly. “Er, in a chair?”

“That sounds…well, it could be fun. Was it?”

Harry shrugged. “It was different. Cho wasn’t…well, maybe it was me…or I don’t know, the two of us together just didn’t…fit, like you and I do. We get each other. I’m not sure I will ever understand Cho. She was a nice person, don’t get me wrong, and I did love her. But…we didn't have any chemistry. The more I'm with you, the more I realize that."

Ginny smiled at him and took his hand into hers, giving it a brief squeeze. The drove home in silence for a while until Harry started playing with the radio. Ginny sighed, and he winked at her. He knew he drove her crazy when he did that, but the fact that she still let him commandeer her radio was a sure sign that she was still over the moon about him. And Harry was delighted with that idea. He realized that the woman next to him was the most important person in his life. Maybe when they finally, officially, moved in together into his parent's house, Harry would find a way of conveying that to her.

o-o-o-o-o


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny has an accident and Harry comes to the rescue... also, Riddle is finally released.

Chapter 5:

Her Majesty’s Prison System was proud of its Azkaban gaol – indeed, it had an exemplary track record. Most prisoners succeeded in their lives after leaving its cold, brick-laid walls and hallowed cells. After enjoying an all-expenses-paid trip courtesy of her Majesty, most of the released prisoners became rightful, tax-paying citizens again. And Azkaban’s governor, Argus Filch, made sure everybody knew it.

He watched as the recent parolees came into the area. He always liked to give the lads a bit of a speech – a going away discourse, as he liked to call it. Inspiring them to turn their lives around the moment they stepped foot out that giant gated entryway, the sound of the metal clanging after them. Some of the prisoners he’d kept in touch with liked to tell him they heard that clang in their sleep, reminding them of their days of incarceration.

This time, it was a small group – four releases only – and two he knew rather personally, and he knew he would never see them again. After being governor of Azkaban for forty years, one just sort of got a feeling about a person and their commitment to living a better life. The other two Filch did not know, but one of them, a man by the name of Tom Riddle – a perfect inmate by all accounts – gave him pause.

“Now listen up you lot as I am only going to say this once. You are free to go and live your lives, hopefully, a bit cleverer than when you came in. We don’t all get second chances in this world, but for some reason, you bunch of blighters do. Think about the things that got you inside and then think about your families, your wives, your sisters, your brothers, hell, think of your cat, if that helps. Remember that feeling of being locked up. Imagine your freedom disappearing forever. Because that'll happen if you don't walk the line out there, blokes. Her Majesty frowns on repeat offenders, and if you've been in Azkaban, word has it the judges like to throw the book at ya’ should you try for a repeat visit.

“We have put together a folder of contacts and information for you – phone numbers you might need, should you have any trouble re-entering society. Look over the literature in the folders, and bloody well use it. When you're feeling low or thinking about being how you were before, read it. I have been releasing prisoners for over 40 years, and people thank me for what's in those folders. Because it helps. There are people who are willing to listen to you. You are more than ex-convicts. Remember that. You paid your time with your freedom, and you are now allowed to live again.”

Filch finished speaking, looking at each man in turn. When he came to Riddle, he paused, narrowing his eyes, but Riddle merely looked back at him as though bored. _Well, fine_ , Filch thought. Sometimes his speech helped, sometimes it didn’t. He nodded to the guard to open the gates, the loud crash of the metal sounding harsh in the afternoon air. There were people gathered across the street from the prison – family members most likely. The four men made their way through the gates, most of them looking humbled and unsure. Filch smiled at them. Only after the other three had made their way to the various parties across the road did Argus realize Riddle was standing off to the side, alone. 

All prisoners were given money for the local bus, of course, but most of them didn’t bother and just had someone pick them up. He watched Riddle as the man stood entirely too still and poised for someone just out of prison. Soon a black car appeared to be making its way closer to the prison, and it stopped within a few feet of Riddle, its engine idling. Riddle finally turned and looked at the car, nodding his head in acknowledgment. The door to the car opened, and Riddle walked over to it, bending down to see inside. A moment later, Riddle straightened, and, without a backward glance, got inside the car. It drove off the way it had come.

Filch frowned to himself as the guard closed the metal gates again and made his way back to his office. Yes, there was definitely something off about that one. He wondered who had approved his early release. _Oh well, it’s out of my hands_ , Filch thought. It wasn’t up to him who got let go – it was just his job to make sure they took the folders and left the premises. Anything else was someone else’s problem.

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny paused, jogging in place as the lorry honked at her as it passed, and she stuck her two fingers up in the air as a salute. The driver grinned rather rudely at her and shook his head. She turned the sound up on her music player and kept jogging in place for a moment before resuming her run.

It was a song list that Harry had put together for her, and she smiled as Queen came blaring over the tiny speakers in her ears. He said it was music guaranteed to motivate her to run quickly and efficiently. She knew he just wanted her back in the flat so they could find other ways to exercise – this time together. And probably naked. He had almost convinced her not to run this morning since it was Saturday, and neither of them had any place to be.

_Oh, Harry, you sweet talker_ , she thought as she smiled to herself, starting to increase her pace. There was just a short copse of trees in between where her flat was and where her running path took her, and she entered it without thinking. But a moment later, Ginny found herself losing her footing as she tripped over something that was in the way.

“Bugger!” she exclaimed in surprise as she fell, her ankle twisting. She landed on the dirt path with a thud, her backside taking the brunt of it. Ginny glared back to see what had caused her to fall and didn’t see anything. Swearing, she tried to stand up and grunted when her ankle answered back with a painful whinge.

Ginny finally managed to stand up and walk back the way she had come – she looked down and saw the faintest glimmer of what looked like a wire in the dirt. She reached out and tugged at it. The wire slid quickly to her from somewhere around the tree to her right. Feeling a strange feeling at the back of her neck, she looked around, half expecting someone to jump out at her and yell, "ah-hah!" but nothing happened. 

“Okay, that’s weird,” Ginny said out loud, feeling spooked. She reached for her mobile and quickly hit Harry’s number (he was number 2, after her parents, although Ginny was honestly thinking of changing that order). He answered on the third ring.

“You missed me so much you had to stop and phone me mid-run?”

Ginny snorted despite the pain in her ankle and shook her head. “No, you git, I tripped, and I’ve hurt my ankle. Can you come help me?”

“Oh my god, Gin, are you okay? Don’t move! I’ll be right there!” Harry paused a moment, and she heard him breathing loudly as he moved. “Er, but um, where are you, exactly?”

Ginny chuckled. “In the copse of trees right around the corner. Are you dressed at least?”

“Yep, lucky for you. I was just toying with running out and getting us breakfast. I’m already out the door, hang on. Just keep talking to me.” The sound became muffled for a moment, and Ginny heard a woman’s voice. She smiled when she realized it was Mrs Crockford. A moment later, Harry was back on the line. “I’m going to cut across the property and jump the fence.”

“Harry! Be careful. There’s no one else to call if _you_ fall.”

"Oh, haha. Well, I can tell it isn't too serious if you’re making fun of me. How is your ankle? Is it starting to swell? Do you think anything is broken?”

Ginny looked at her ankle and frowned. “It doesn’t look too puffy, and I can move it back and forth a bit. I probably just twisted it.” Her ankle throbbed as though it wanted to prove her wrong.

“Stay off it!” Harry warned, sounding out of breath. “Okay, I’m at the fence, hang on while I slip you into my pocket.” The sound muffled again, and Ginny bit her lip thinking about him jumping the fence. She honestly didn’t want him to hurt himself. She started moving forward, dragging her foot behind her, trying not to put any pressure on the bad ankle.

“Gin?” Harry’s voice was back in her ear, and she smiled into her mobile.

“Oh good, you made it.”

“Again, hilarious,” Harry muttered. “Okay, I’m at the trees, I should be there in a few minutes. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, Harry.”

“How’s your pain on a level of 1-10?”

Ginny sighed. “I don’t know…about a five?” Her ankle whinged again. _Okay, make that a six._

“Hey, I see you!” Harry said suddenly, and Ginny looked up to see someone moving up ahead of her through the trees. A moment later and he appeared, waving at her, still clutching his mobile to his ear. Ginny laughed despite herself and smirked as he quickly reached her.

“Are you okay? Here let me see,” Harry said, immediately dropping down to his knees. He tenderly took her ankle into his hands, moving it back and forth gently. She shook her head at him as he looked all around her foot, pulling her sock lower so that he could see better.

“So, what do you think, Doc Potter, will I survive?”

Harry shook his head finally and looked up at her. “Oh, I reckon. But only just. Want me to carry you?”

“Of course,” Ginny said. “But I also want you to not have a heart attack half-way there. I can make it on my own two legs if you help me, Harry.”

“And here I wanted to show off my manly strengths to Mrs Crockford.”

“I’ll let you pick me up before we tackle the stairs, how’s that?”

Harry flashed her a brilliant smile as he wrapped his arm around her middle to steady her. Ginny winced as they started moving, but she thought she could do it as long as they went slow. They made their way back along the path, with Ginny using Harry as her crutch. Ginny remembered the wire she’d found and held it out to him.

“This is what I tripped over, by the way.”

Harry looked down at her hand, looking at the wire. “What in the world was that doing out there?”

“I don’t know, but ow!” Ginny grunted as she accidentally applied pressure to her injured foot. The flare of pain made her breath catch. “Bloody hell, that hurts.”

“All right, no argument about my weak heart. Come on, upsy-daisy.” Harry grabbed her around the middle again and swung her into his arms before she could protest. Ginny made a face at him.

“Upsy-Daisy?”

“Your brother says it,” Harry said, his cheeks turning pink. “I think he got it from your Mum.”

Ginny raised her eyebrow at him and didn’t say anything. She tried to make herself as light as possible and wrapped her hands around his neck. To his credit, Harry only grunted once or twice as they approached her flat.

“You know, perhaps we should add having sex up against the wall into our repertoire. You’ve actually got quite a lot of upper body strength, Harry. It’s sort of sexy.”

Harry pursed his lips and made a face at her as they reached her stairs. Ginny was disappointed that Mrs Crockford did not appear to gawk at them. Harry set her down gently and then was pulling his key out his pocket to let them in. He picked her up again and then sat her down on the settee. He started removing her shoe for her and looked at her ankle again, gently pulling her sock away.

"Now, stay put while I go collapse in the kitchen." Harry pointed at her mobile. “Call your brother. I want him to look at your ankle, and I'm going to call Dora and see if she can come over."

“It’s honestly okay, Harry,” Ginny said, feeling disagreeable. “Stop being a mother-hen.”

"Do it, or I call your Mum," Harry threatened, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“You play dirty, Potter.”

“Learned it from you, Weasley. I’m going to get something cold for that ankle. Do you have an ice-pack?”

“Nope,” Ginny said, already dialing her brother’s number.

"You run all the time, and you don't keep an ice-pack?" Harry muttered as he wandered into the kitchen. Ginny ignored him and waited for Ron's voicemail to beep in her ear.

“Ron, it’s Ginny. Look, Harry is forcing me to call you and ask you to come over. I tripped while running, and he's turned into Mum, all of a sudden. I'm fine. But could you come over sometime today, anyway? Thanks. Love to Hermione."

“Now call Dora!” Harry shouted from the kitchen, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

“I don’t have her number, Harry. You have your mobile. On you. All the way over there. I thought you wanted me to stay put?”

Harry stopped taking stuff out of her freezer and frowned. “Oh, yeah.” He fumbled with his mobile for a second and then put it up to his ear.

“Hey, Dora. Ginny took a tumble and hurt her ankle. Do you have time to come over to look at it?”

Ginny sighed and stared at her leg, wondering why he was making such a fuss. She was going to be _fine_. She then realized that due to his own injury, Harry probably got freaked out about anything having to do with legs being broken or injured. The thought made her feel bad for taking the piss out of him, and Ginny suddenly felt touched by how much he cared. She'd been acting like a git. He finished his phone call and then brought over two glasses of water and a bag of something that looked suspiciously like frozen peas.

“Here, I found some paracetamol in your drawer, although who knows how old it is,” Harry said, handing her two small, white pills and a glass of water.

Ginny dutifully took them and drank them down. She watched as he put the bag of whatever he'd found in the freezer on her ankle. She winced as the cold bag hit her sensitive nerve.

“Dora will be right over. Did you reach Ron?”

“Voicemail,” Ginny said, wincing again. Harry took hold of her hand, squeezing it.

“Sorry if I was bossing you around there,” he said, reaching over and pushing her hair out of her eyes. Ginny realized she must have lost the hair tie she’d put on that morning.

“It’s okay, Harry. I’m sorry I was acting like a git. I know you were just worried about me. I shouldn’t take that for granted.”

“You just don’t like people fussing over you, I get it. You’re the youngest girl in a house of brothers, it’s only natural,” Harry said, smiling at her.

Ginny leaned forward and kissed him. "You're lovely, Harry. Never let my bad manners chase you away."

“It’ll take more than that, Gin,” Harry said, kissing her back.

“What should we do until Dora gets here?” Ginny asked as Harry took a drink of his water. He shook his head at her.

“Nothing like that.”

“Like what?” Ginny asked innocently.

“Like whatever you were just thinking,” Harry said, sounding determined. He stood up and went into the bedroom. He came back out with a few pillows. “Here, prop your ankle up on these. We should keep it elevated.”

"Yes, sir," Ginny said, doing a miniature salute with her hand on her forehead. Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed the remote to the telly. He squeezed in next to her, and Ginny rested her head on his shoulder as her ankle gave another twinge. Maybe having Dora look at it was a good thing, after all. But Ginny couldn’t let Harry know that; he’d never let her live it down.

o-o-o-o-o

“Well,” Ron was saying as he looked at Ginny’s ankle. “I agree with your…” Ron paused and glanced at Harry. “Wait, what do you call the person who is marrying your uncle who’s not really your uncle? Is she your aunt yet? Your aunt-in-law?”

“You could just call me Dora,” the woman in question piped up from behind them, and Ron grinned at her. He turned back to Ginny’s foot and looked at his sister.

“As I was saying, I agree with Dora’s opinion. Nothing's broken, but it’s a nasty sprain. You should go see your GP, if not later today, then tomorrow. They can give you something stronger for the pain, at least. That paracetamol isn’t going to cut it later, once it really starts to whinge.”

Ginny nodded and sighed as her brother placed her ankle back on the pillows. She nodded for Harry to give her her mobile. “I’ll try calling Doctor Pomfrey right now, thanks, Ron."

The phone rang a few moments before the answering service picked up. Ginny gave them her name and number and explained the situation. Hopefully, she’d hear something back from them soon.

Harry looked at her as he was talking with Ron, a brief smiling filling his face. Dora came over and sat down on the edge of the settee.

“You’ll be fine in a few days, Ginny. Just stay off it and keep the ice on it. Of course, I doubt that one,” Dora jerked her head in Harry’s direction, “will let you do anything even resembling standing, so maybe you should just sit back and accept your fate. Not too many women can say they have Harry Potter at their beck and call.”

Ginny nodded. “I know, but something in me just hates feeling helpless.”

Dora smiled. "Yeah, we're so hell-bent on being independent these days, us girls need to learn how to be taken care of sometimes. Let him do whatever he wants, love. It'll happen anyway, and you'll make him happy by acting like the damsel in distress for a few days. I know, not very feminist of me, but I know Harry. Stubborn as they come when he wants his way, and something tells me you are much the same."

Ginny laughed. “Just a bit.”

“I’ll keep your secret,” Dora said, winking at her. She patted Ginny’s knee and then stood up. “Well, gang, I’m due back at the hospital in an hour. I’m going to swing by and see what Remus is up to for lunch. Harry, always a pleasure to see my favorite non-nephew.” Dora grinned at Ron and then pulled Harry in for a hug.

Ron smiled at Ginny. “Need anything? Magazines, chocolate, some of those cheesy bodice-rippers Mum likes to saddle you with?”

Ginny snorted at her brother. "Er, no. Thanks for the offer, though."

“Don’t want you to get restless, sis," Ron glanced at Harry, who was standing at the door, saying goodbye to Dora. "I think he'll take good care of you, and I know he knows how to keep you from getting bored."

Ginny shook her head, and Ron gave her a hug, and then he, too, left them alone. Ginny sighed, wincing as her ankle throbbed. Harry gave her a sympathetic look.

“Starting to hurt a bit more?”

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. Do you…do you think you could move me into the bedroom? This settee always starts to hurt my back after a while." She shifted forward as Harry bent down and she wrapped her hands around his neck. He lifted her up a moment later, and she gave him a thankful look.

“I really _do_ appreciate your upper body strength, Harry.”

Harry laughed. “Yeah, yeah. All that time spent training made worth it just so I could carry you around all day.”

Ginny rested her head on his shoulder, and then he was laying her down on the bed. He smiled at her and lifted her hair out of her face. "Why don't you try to take a nap and I will scrounge up some food. We never had breakfast, and by now, it's lunchtime."

Ginny nodded, she was feeling a bit tired. Harry left for a moment and then came back, returning the pillows to the bed and handing her mobile over to her. After she was situated, Ginny smiled at him.

“I’ll be okay. Go get something absolutely delicious for me to eat. I’m wounded, and all calories are null and void when wounded.”

Harry chuckled. "Is that how it works? Hmm. All right. If you need me, just…call me, and I'll come straight back here. I won't be gone long."

Ginny nodded and then felt her eyes close. She’d probably sleep the entire time he was gone. She felt his mouth graze her forehead in a soft kiss, and then he was gone. She snuggled down into the pillows, sighing. Before she drifted off, Ginny remembered the wire she’d tripped over and frowned to herself, wondering if Harry had mentioned it to her brother…

o-o-o-o

“Well, Miss Weasley, I am glad I checked my answering service before leaving for the day. This is a nasty sprain, but you’ll be all right in about a week or two. Just keep it wrapped and elevated. Here’s a prescription for some pain pills, although I think it’s best if you only use them at night to help you sleep.”

Doctor Pomfrey, Ginny's GP for the last twenty years of her life, smiled warmly at her. "You're in good shape, though, in all other aspects I take it? Since I haven't seen you this year, hmm?”

Ginny felt her skin heat. “Er, sorry, I’ve been busy and not sick this year so far.”

“And there’s a new beau in the picture? That young man that let me in?”

Ginny smiled. “Yes. Harry.”

"Well, I approve. He was very polite when I showed up. All right, here are some instructions to follow, just what I've already mentioned. Keep it wrapped and try the ice treatment if it starts to bother you too much. It's not very swollen, though, so I think the pain should most likely pass soon. As long as you stay off it. I know you like to be in motion, but you officially have your doctor's permission to be a layabout."

“What about work?”

“Hmm, I’ll release you in a few days. I’ll come back on Wednesday and see how you’re doing, and we’ll go from there.”

Ginny thanked her again and heard Harry talking to her as she left. He came into the bedroom.

“She said you have a prescription to get filled?”

Ginny nodded and handed it to him. “I hate to send you out again, especially since you just got back.”

“It’s okay, Gin. I have all day tomorrow to hang around here with you. I got takeaway for now and bought loads of food to cook. And I’ve already spoken to Ian and told him you might be out the whole week –“

"But Harry! I don't want to miss a whole week! I just sit at a desk, really…”

Harry held up his hand. “Yeah, but you need to be able to move and walk around at work. Ian said it's an insurance thing, anyway. No working without a doctor's release. You’re stuck here.”

Ginny grumbled at him but could see he was going to be stubborn about it. Harry sighed and pulled her into his arms, resting his head on top of hers.

“It won’t be so bad, Gin. I’ll try to make it as fun as possible.”

Ginny grinned despite her mood and looked up at him. His green eyes gazed warmly back at her.

“Well, I reckon being stuck here with you to wait on me hand and foot isn’t _so_ bad…”

“That’s my girl,” Harry said, chuckling. “And just think of all the ways we get to figure out how to have sex now, without you moving your ankle.”

Ginny laughed. “You probably already have some idea in mind, don’t you?”

“Well,” Harry said, looking at the leg that was propped up on the side. “Your leg is already up in the air…”

“Harry!” Ginny snorted. He waggled his eyebrows at her, smirking.

Ginny suddenly remembered thinking about the wire and frowned. “Did you tell Ron about the wire we found?”

Harry looked confused for a moment. “Well, that was a subject change. Er, no, I didn’t. Should I have?”

“What did you do with it?”

“Hmm, I probably put it on the counter when we first got back, hang on." Harry went into the kitchen and then came back, bring it over to her. He was frowning at it. “I still don’t understand what it was doing there. It was tied around the tree?”

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. I tugged on it, and it just…released itself and came towards me. It was as though someone had set it there on purpose.”

“Okay, so who would want to trip someone in the middle of those trees. I mean, it’s secluded, but it’s close to the street and easy to run through.”

“Well,” Ginny said, frowning. “Not if the person just tripped and sprained their ankle.”

“Do you think there was someone else there when you fell? Watching you or I don't know, waiting?” Harry asked, staring at the wire.

Ginny shook her head. “I did at first, but…no, I don’t think there was.”

Harry met her gaze. “Do you always run the same way?”

Ginny thought about it, about to say no, but then realized that on Saturdays, she usually did use the short cut through the trees to get back to the flat quicker to be with Harry. "I reckon I do, but only on Saturdays."

“Why on Saturdays?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

Ginny felt herself blush. “Er, well, I know you, er…are waiting for me to get back, usually.”

Harry smiled. “You mean you shorten your run to get back to be with me? Why, Ginny, I’m touched.”

“Shut up. But Harry, are you suggesting someone put that wire specifically there for me or that they just put it there to trip anyone?”

Harry shrugged. “Either answer makes me feel wary, I have to be honest. But if it was their endgame to trip someone, why weren’t they there to er, well, you know, grab you or whatever.”

"Maybe they weren't expecting me to be so early?" Ginny asked frowning.

“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” Harry said, shaking himself. "I'm glad you're out of commission for a while, Gin. No more running in those woods unless you’re with me, all right?”

Ginny nodded absentmindedly at him, her brain buzzing with what they’d been talking about. She stared at him after his words sunk into her thoughts.

“You’re going to start running with me now?”

Harry shrugged. “I reckon you’ll be slow for the next month or so anyway, so you won’t mind if I hold you back with my gimp leg.” His eyes looked sad, even though he gave her a brief smile.

Ginny touched his arm. "Your leg is fine, Harry. You walk around everywhere without any issues."

Harry's cheeks heated, and he looked away. "I know. But that's walking. I can't really…running is a whole different story." Ginny frowned because he sounded so...forlorn suddenly.

“It bothers you still, doesn’t it? Your leg, the fact that you-“

"Had to learn how to walk again? Yeah. Sometimes. I've tried running, and it just…it doesn't feel like it used to before I broke it. Which is fine. That's normal. I'm lucky I can walk at all, I _do_ know that. But… sometimes I feel less than…less than I used to feel, anyway. It’s ridiculous, I know.”

Ginny hugged him. "I love you and your gimp leg, which isn't even gimpy, but I'll call it that if you want. You're brilliant, and you're strong, and you are the best lover I have ever had.”

Harry snorted into her hair and pulled back to look at her. “Out of the three, I'm the best, eh?"

Ginny blushed. "Well, true, my scope is limited, but I can't imagine anyone being better than you, Harry, and that's a fact. You've ruined me for all other men."

Harry laughed and pulled on her hair, twirling it around his fingers. “Oh, Red, you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better.”

“Likewise,” Ginny said, resting her forehead on his.

"What are we going to do with this?" Harry said after a while, holding up the wire.

“What can we do? I’m fairly sure the police won’t give a right testicle about it, and we have nothing else to go on. Some kids were probably trying to play a trick on someone, and they forgot to remove the wire. Lucky me.”

"Hmm," Harry said, looking down at the wire. "I'm going to hold onto it, just in case, though."

“Can we eat now?” Ginny asked, stretching back against the bed as her stomach rumbled. “I think the wisdom is that you should feed a fever, you know.”

“You don’t have a fever, you have a lame ankle.”

“Sticks and stones. What matters is that I’m hungry.”

Harry chuckled. “All right, all right. I picked up some Chicken Korma with like, 40 extra pieces of Naan. You said calories don’t count, right?”

“Not today,” Ginny said, nodding. “I’ll let future fat Ginny worry about that.”

Harry looked at her, his eyes traveling up her body. “I think you have a ways to go before you have to worry about that. Not that I’d care. I’d love you anyway.”

Ginny smiled at him. “Get the food, Harry. And then you can help me work it off a bit. Tell me all those ideas you had about having non-ankle-moving sex.”

Harry grinned at her and went to the kitchen to get their dishes. Ginny stared at the wire he’d left and frowned. It didn’t make any sense. _Whatever their plan had been, it must have backfired_ , she mused. Because now she wouldn’t be out there running for a long time. Ginny shrugged to herself and put the wire into the drawer on the side table, forgetting about it for the time being.

o-o-o-o-o

The room was moderately designed, if understated. All the modern attributes, of course. He would never expect Lucius to put him someplace _common_. The first thing he did when he entered was to turn on the central air, sighing as it started to fill the flat. Prison was a lot of things, and comfortable was not one of them. He set the thermostat at a refreshing 22 Celsius and then headed into the loo. He smirked at the large tub and shower unit and started removing his clothes, tossing them into the rubbish bin. He allowed himself a small hum of pleasure as the luxury of the water hit his body. Prisons had showers, but they didn’t have them like _this_.

He gazed at himself, unapologetically in the mirror. He would need a haircut, a proper shave, and a manicure. Lucius would have to arrange it for him. At least in prison, one could keep in good shape – he admired his own toned abdomen, happy with what he saw. He was not a man who cared for such… _frivolous_ superficialities, but being of sound body would serve him well in the coming weeks.

Still naked from the shower, he stalked into the outer bedroom and went to the wardrobe. _Ah, yes, Lucius had been busy_. The finest suits from Savile Row, of course. He chose a dark green ensemble, enjoying the silver accruements that came with it, and finally - he felt as though the first steps towards leaving his incarceration behind him had been taken.

He saw a new mobile phone sitting on the bedside table and picked it up, flipping through its contacts. He smirked at one of the names and paused, his finger poised over the button. No, he would not give in to that particular need. At least, not yet.

Tapping Malfoy’s number, the other line picked up on the second ring, and he smiled.

“Ah, yes, Lucius. I am home. Send word to our friends. Tonight we can enjoy my homecoming and tomorrow…tomorrow we can start our plans.”

He clicked off, without waiting for a reply and slipped the phone into his pocket. Yes, tonight, he would meet and greet the selected few he had chosen to help him. He paused as he gazed at the photographs Lucius had left for him on the table, his finger lingering over one in particular.

“Oh, but your hair has grown so long, my dear," he murmured. "The new boy must enjoy it." He frowned at the next photograph, feeling the first traces of his anger percolate within him. He stared at the happy couple and felt a sneer growing on his face. He tore the picture in two and let the scraps fall to the floor. He imagined they thought they were in love. Well, he would allow them to enjoy that for the time being. He was, after all, a benevolent Lord, was he not?

He caught sight of his reflection as he moved through the flat and smiled at the dark reflection. Yes, he _was_ the Dark Lord. And Ginny Weasley was soon to be his Queen. Or, if not, he would let her die trying.

o-o-o-o-o


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny comes to grips with Riddle being released and Harry learns a few things about his parents...

_Many apologies for the slowness in updating this story - this chapter has been finished for quite awhile but it never felt completely “done”, until now. I hope the wait was semi-worth it. Many thanks to Narukoibito for her beta, as always. And for those reading my other story, In Essence, I did not mean for there to be similar love scenes, lol, it just worked out that way. ;)_

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

"I swung by and got the post," Harry said as he entered the flat. Ginny smiled at him from the settee. It had been a few days since her accident, and she was still staying off her hurt ankle. _Mostly_. Harry had a sinking suspicion she was getting up when he wasn't around. Her doctor had not released her to go back to work yet as planned, and he knew Ginny was rebelling in every way possible.

Harry saw the envelope with Her Majesty's official crest on the corner and stopped, frowning.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Ginny asked, noticing he had suddenly become immobile.

Harry looked at her. "You have a letter."

She gave him a look that clearly indicated she thought he'd gone mental. "Er, yes, that's what the post is, usually."

Harry handed her the letter and sat down next to her on the settee. He watched as her brow furrowed. She met his eyes.

"This is it," she murmured.

Harry simply nodded at her. "Do you want me to read it first?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, don't be daft. It's just a letter. I can and will survive."

She stared at the letter a bit more and then sighed, ripping it open with a weird sort of zeal. Harry watched as her eyes scanned the paper. He couldn't tell what it said based on her expression and frowned. She finally met his look and handed him the letter, not saying anything.

Harry read the letter himself and felt a myriad of emotions. He finally sighed and folded it back up when he was finished. He took her hand into his. Ginny gave him a soft smile but shook her head.

"I'm fine, Harry. I…expected his release. It's all right." She shrugged and then looked away. Harry settled back against the settee and put his arm around her. Ginny laughed suddenly.

"We're acting like this is a funeral or the end of something. This is stupid. This doesn't affect me, it doesn't affect us. He's not going to do anything to me. What's the plan for today? Should we play some football on the console?"

Harry pulled her closer. "As long as you mean that, and you're not just putting on a brave face?"

Ginny looked at him, moving her lips to his, kissing him briefly. "No, I am not just putting on a brave face. We have already wasted too much time discussing Tom 'bleedin' Riddle, and we're going to just go on with things, with you feeding me and loving me and me sitting here like a queen on her cushions."

Harry laughed. "I see, well, as long as you've got us sorted."

"Yes, yes, I do."

"I told Sirius I would help him with some things later today, but I reckon I have time to beat you in one game."

"Oh-ho, big talk, Potter. One would think you'd completely forgotten how I've relentlessly beat you the five hundred times before."

Harry chuckled and got up to turn on the television, flicking on the PlayStation, too. He handed her a controller and shook his head.

"I was merely learning your weaknesses, Red. Now you're playing the real Harry Potter, former football player extraordinaire."

Ginny raised her eyebrow at him and sniffed at him. "Whatever you need to tell yourself."

"Oh, it's on, Weasley," Harry said, feeling his old competitiveness raise its head.

As the screen started and the familiar music from the game started, Ginny gave him a smug smile.

"That's _Redflash6,_ and I'll remind you to respect your betters in just a moment, Harry."

Harry shook his head and was happy to see that Ginny _did_ seem all right, and all thoughts of the past and the darkness it could bring were left behind them.

o-o-o-o-o

"So Ginny's really all right with everything?" Sirius was asking him as they worked. Sirius had said he'd wanted Harry to help him clean out the garage, claiming it was an 'Almost-Autumn-Cleaning' chore. Harry noted that it appeared Sirius was indeed getting rid of a lot of things that probably should have been tossed ages ago.

"Yeah, I think she really is," Harry said as he took one of the heavier and older boxes down from the top shelf. He slipped slightly, but Sirius was at his back and helped keep him upright. Harry smiled at his godfather, gratefully.

"I think I thought she was just pretending to be, but based on the beating she gave me earlier when we played football on PlayStation, she's really not. I've never seen anyone look so proud and laugh so hard before."

Sirius snickered at him and started going through the box Harry had just handed him. "You know, I think this box stays. I'll need to sort through it later. Put it with the others. I'll get the last one up there myself, shorty."

"Ha-ha," Harry said, moving the box to the 'Look At Later' pile Sirius had designated. He was actually surprised there weren't as many there as he'd thought there would be. Usually, Sirius hated throwing anything away – Harry had known for him to hang on to some of his old football programs forever.

Sirius smiled as he looked into the final box and handed it down to Harry. Harry sneezed as the dust flew off the top of it, going up his nose.

"I think this is the one I wanted," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together as Harry sat it down on the table. Harry dusted himself off and cleaned his glasses.

"What are you looking for?" Harry asked, squinting at his godfather.

"Something of your father's…er, rather, your mother's. Ah-ha. Here it is." Sirius held up a small purple box and handed it to Harry. "I thought you should have this. I don't know why I never locked it away. It's not really worth much, I reckon, but I think James and Lily would want you to have it."

Harry cleaned off the top of the purple box and then pried the lid open. Inside sat a silver ring – simple yet decidedly elegant as it winked up at him. There were two sets of small, intricate flowers on either side of a sparkling, dark blue stone. Harry looked at Sirius, who smiled at him.

"It was your Mum's engagement ring, or they used it as such. James bought her a proper one later. I reckon this one is more of a promise ring or whatever they're calling it now. I thought you should have it, now that you've met Ginny. That's a sapphire."

"I, er, just asked her to move in with me, Sirius. I think this is might be a bit too soon? It's only been a few months, really."

Sirius put his hand over the box to close it and squeezed Harry's hand. "I didn't say you should run out and give it to her _now_. Just…I thought you should have it. You know, just in case. Besides, I know you've already thought about it, godson."

Sirius gave him a wry smile and continued moving boxes around while Harry stood there, staring at the box. After a moment, Sirius glanced at him.

"How did you know?" Harry asked. He had not told anyone he had thought about marrying Ginny. Half the time, he was embarrassed to even think it to himself. But Sirius had known somehow.

"Because I know you, Harry. Like I said before when you fall, it's gonna be long and hard and forever, and that girl is your forever. You're head over heels for her the way James was for Lily. And I _know_ Potter men, Harry."

Harry went to his godfather and pulled him into a rough hug, feeling inexplicably emotional at the gesture. He gripped the ring box so hard in his hand that he realized he was hurting himself. He pulled away and blinked at Sirius. "How did my dad give the ring to my mum?"

Sirius smiled. "Let's go inside and get something to drink and I'll tell you."

o-o-o-o-o

"Well, as you know, James and Lily had been dating for a bit, and while they pretended that's all it was, Remus and I already knew James was going to ask her. He'd get this light in his eyes when she was around. It's a light you can't hide, even if you're trying to play it cool. Luckily for James, Lily was the same way, or I'm afraid of what another girl might have done to take advantage of that.

"James came over to our place one day, and he seemed really nervous. Remus and I were immediately put on edge because _he_ was on edge. Honestly, Harry, you should have seen him. He kept repeating things and pacing, running his hands through his hair, ruffling it. He kept talking about everything and nothing. And usually, of course, your father could be downright… _laconic_."

Sirius laughed as he remembered. "So anytime James was nervous about something meant it was something big. He'd been in a bit in a funk since your grandparents had died, to be honest, but being around Lily helped him. And when he was ready to go back to school, to officially finish things, he was sad she would be staying behind this time. So when she came over that day, the day of the big James Potter is Nervous As Hell episode, Remus and I left. Or we told him we did. I crept back and watched them through the kitchen window, and Remus, well, he got after me to leave them to it, but you know what, Harry? He stayed and watched too.

"James kissed her first and put on some music. He twirled her around the living room, making her laugh. We watched as he pulled this little purple box from his pocket, and he did it right then – he dropped down to one knee and smiled up at her, and her mouth fell open at first. And I don't know what he said next, but your Mum laughed, Harry. Like he'd just told the funniest joke ever, and then he was opening the box and holding it out to her, and she took it, nodding her head."

Sirius paused for a moment, as though lost in the memory, and Harry felt a hard lump in his throat as he tried to swallow, feeling as though he could almost see the scene in his head.

"And then we watched him give her a piece a paper – we didn't know what that was about, but your mother had quite the reaction to it, whatever it was. Remus and I gave them a little privacy, and when we finally returned, they told us the news. The paper turned out to be the plans for this very house. Lily later told me it was because he had included the room for a nursery. They hadn't even talked about wanting kids, and yet there it was, a _nursery_. With room for more."

Sirius paused and took a drink of his coffee. He gave Harry a thoughtful look. "You know your Mum never really had anything of her own. She lost her parents when she was younger and that sister of hers…well, you know how they are for yourself." Sirius seemed to shudder as he thought of Harry's aunt. "She said when she saw the plans for this house, she knew they were ready, and that James was serious. She couldn't wait to start a family. I reckon that's why they had you while they were both so young."

"It's weird to think I could have had brothers and sisters," Harry said, feeling strangely bereft.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I think Lily wanted at least two, but your father wanted five."

"Five!"

Sirius chuckled. "We all thought he was nuts. But God, Harry…your father loved you. You never met a prouder dad than James Potter. If you burped, he wanted to save it for posterity. You know all those photographs we have of you as a baby? That was all James. He wanted to save and cherish every moment."

Harry choked up as emotion hit him. He looked down into his coffee, trying to come to grips with what he was feeling. It was odd to miss something he'd never had. Sirius and Remus had both told him loads of stories about his parents, and he did feel as though he knew them, somewhat. But it just wasn't the same.

He watched as Sirius finished his coffee and then got up to clean his cup. Harry knew he was the man he was today because of his godfather and uncle. He owed them so much - for not only had they raised him well, but they had made sure he knew his parents by keeping their memory alive for him. Even though Harry was sure, it had been painful for them at times. They had also lost two people they'd loved.

Harry made a noise as he got up, and Sirius looked at him in surprise. Harry pulled him roughly into a hug and gripped his godfather tight. Sirius had almost been better than a father to him – he had been a confidant, a godfather, and a friend, all rolled into one. Remus had been much the same, always taking care of him when he was sick or upset, much like he imagined his mother would have done.

Sirius pulled away first and smiled gently at him. "It's okay, kid. Memories shouldn't hurt us. James would still be just as proud of you today as Remus and I are. I have no doubt."

"I don't tell you two enough that I appreciate all you have done for me," Harry said, feeling his eyes water. "You two were the best fathers anyone could have asked for, you know."

"We tried to do what we thought Lily and James would have done, that's all, Harry." Sirius patted him on the back.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to," Harry insisted. "You could have left me with Aunt Petunia."

Sirius snorted. "I would have never been able to live with myself if I had, I'll tell you that." Sirius grinned at him. "So anyway, you hold onto that ring, yeah? I know you think it's early days, and you're right, but you never know when the moment might strike. I think Lily and James would be delighted with someone else wearing it. Especially if it's someone like Ginny. That girl is your future."

Harry smiled and put the purple box into his trouser pocket. He had no intention of scaring Ginny off by moving too soon, but Sirius did have a point. One just never knew.

o-o-o-o-o

"Do you have any paprika?" Harry called from the kitchen. Ginny looked up from the table where she'd been reading.

"Er, I think? Maybe in that top cupboard? I put some extra things up there."

Harry stretched upwards and frowned as he looked inside the cupboard noticing all the dust. "When? In 1992?"

"Very funny," Ginny snorted. "They're not that old. And besides, spices can't kill you, Harry."

"Tell that to the Dutch in South America," Harry muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Harry said as he turned back to his cooking. He was making Hungarian Goulash, and he'd remembered everything but the smoky spice. Which was ironic, because it was one of the main ingredients, to Harry.

"Hey, should I do a garlic loaf, or do you want just regular bread?"

Ginny looked at him. "Do you really want garlic breath for… _later_?"

Harry grinned at her. She had a point. "Right then, plain, old crusty baguette it is."

Ginny smirked at him as he joined her at the table. "What are you reading?"

She held the book up so he could read the title. "Ah-ha! I thought you would be interested in that one. Dora said she loved it. How is it?"

Ginny shrugged. "Pretty good, so far. But I can't tell who did what. I don't know how you figure these out so easily, Harry."

"Well, I have been reading mysteries most of my life, you start to cotton on eventually."

"How long until dinner is ready? Do I have time for a bath?"

"Well, that depends, am I joining you in this bath?" Harry said, waggling his eyebrows.

Ginny laughed. "I'll be quick. You can entertain yourself, I hope?"

"Oh, I'll suffer through somehow. Let me know if you need that back washed, though," Harry said, smiling at her.

Ginny stood up and grabbed her crutches. Ron had brought over a set that he'd found at work for her to use. Harry had to admit she was getting around reasonably well on them. Harry knew better than to help her – he knew she'd call for him when she needed him. Still, after she'd disappeared into the bedroom for a while, he got up and made sure she'd left the door open so he could hear her.

Harry sighed and took the purple box Sirius had given him out of his pocket. He was half tempted to just give it to Ginny as a gift – no strings attached. Although, he reckoned that was sort of going against the spirit of the thing. No, he would save it. For now.

A short knock on Ginny's door had Harry startled out of his daydream. He got up to answer it and was surprised when there was no one there. He hadn't noticed anyone hurrying down the stairs. He looked down below the staircase and didn't see anyone there either. As he backed up, Harry heard a crunching noise under his feet and looked down at Ginny's welcome mat. Someone had left her a bouquet of yellow daffodils. Harry frowned and picked them up, looking for a card. There wasn't one.

Something tugged at the edge of Harry's mind – something about the meaning of daffodils he'd read in a book, once, but he couldn't place it. He put the flowers on the counter and pulled out his mobile, doing a quick internet search. Apparently, daffodils meant rebirth and new beginnings.

"Strange flower to send to a woman with a hurt ankle," Harry murmured. Just then, Ginny called for him. He left his mobile on the counter next to the flowers and went to see what she needed. Harry bit back a laugh as he looked in the open door of the loo.

"You called?" he asked a moment later, trying to smile.

Ginny growled and glared at him. "A bit of help, please?"

"Of course, Gin," Harry said as he approached her. She had somehow managed to get tangled up in her dressing gown and her crutch had fallen away from her. As Harry helped her get straightened out, he clucked his tongue at her.

"How long did you fight to do this all on your own before you called for me?"

Ginny pursed her lips and didn't say anything at first. Harry raised his eyebrow at her. She sighed and told him, somewhat reluctantly.

"At least five minutes. Damn this injury! I am not helpless!"

"I know, Gin. You're brilliant and stronger than an ox. A very shapely, womanly ox. But it's okay to ask for help. Honestly, why are you so stubborn? I'm here, I'm taking care of you. Would you just…let me? Please?"

Ginny used her free hand to push her damp hair out of her face and then sighed again. "I'm sorry. I just hate feeling like this. I can't even take a bloody bath by myself."

"Well, let's eat and then we'll do something fun, like…count all of Ginny's freckles. That's a fun game, right? And, you're almost completely dressed for it, and by completely, I mean not at all." Harry pretended to leer at her cleavage, and Ginny eventually laughed, her face lighting up. She shook her head at him.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Make me laugh when I'm feeling so horribly frustrated."

Harry hugged her as they started making their way to the kitchen. "Just my natural talent at everything that is Ginny Weasley."

"Hmm," Ginny said, stopping. She leaned against him and kissed him, and Harry felt himself respond. After awhile, they broke apart, and Ginny was smiling for an entirely different reason. She winked at him.

"You're not the only one with talents, Harry," she said.

"Oh, I definitely know that." Harry acknowledged. He saw Ginny frown when she saw the flowers. She glanced at him.

"When you have time to go out and get those? Not that I don't appreciate them, they're lovely, really." She hopped over to the counter and brought the bouquet up to her nose, taking a deep breath.

"Actually, they were just dropped off on your doorstep. Someone knocked, and by the time I got up and answered it, they were gone, but they'd left these on your mat."

Ginny snapped her head up, staring at him. Harry, who had been going to check the goulash, paused.

"Ginny? What is it?"

"There's no card?" She asked, searching through the bouquet.

"No, I checked. I imagine they just forgot to include one. Why?"

"He…that is Tom Riddle, used to leave Calla Lilies for me. Before. To this day, I can't stand the sight of them." Ginny held the flowers away from her, a worried look on her face.

"So, you think they're from him?" Harry asked, instantly suspicious. He looked at the flowers again and then felt silly. There was clearly nothing in or on them that could hurt them.

"It'd be just like him to send something," Ginny murmured and then grabbed the flowers and hobbled over to the rubbish bin, kicking the lever for the lid to pop open. She vehemently threw them down into the bin and then let the lid slam shut.

"Let's eat," Ginny said, making her way to the table with sudden fierceness.

Harry didn't say anything for a moment, watching her. She glanced up at after she had sat down.

"What, Harry?"

"Why are you jumping to conclusions? Maybe they're from someone else, Gin. Someone from work, perhaps?" Harry tried to make his voice sound as calm and neutral as possible.

Ginny frowned. "Someone from work would have left a card."

"Maybe it fell out, or the delivery service forgot to leave it or-"

"Harry, are we going to talk about this all night, or are we going to eat?" Ginny slapped her hand rather restlessly on the table, and Harry frowned at her. He went to the cupboard, pulled out two bowls, filled them both, and then brought them over to the table, with two spoons.

Ginny didn't say anything as she began to eat, and Harry sighed, watching her. She eventually looked at him, her eyes blazing.

"Do you have something to add?" She asked, sounding tetchy.

Harry shook his head and started to eat. Ginny ignored him for a bit and then put her spoon down with a sigh. Her hand reached out for his, and he chanced a look at her. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were sad.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be in a strop about the flowers. You're absolutely right, something could have happened to the card. Maybe Angelina sent them. I'll send her a message later and ask her, all right?" Harry could see in her eyes that she wanted him to drop it, but he just…couldn't. It worried him, how upset she had become.

"Gin, I know you said you were okay with this Riddle stuff, but…maybe you're not. You know, the Exeter Center has some excellent psychologists working for it. Maybe you could talk with one of them? I mean, if you don't want to talk to me, that is."

Ginny's eyes widened, and she let go of his hand. She pulled her arms away and folded them across her chest, looking both defensive and defeated at the same time. Harry felt his heart ache at the sight of it.

"I saw a psychologist, back when it happened. It..they didn't do much for me. Or maybe I didn't let them do much for me, I don't know. I just wanted to get on with my life."

Harry pushed his bowl away, not hungry any longer. He reached out for her hand, and she eventually gave it to him, her ears turning pink.

"I'm so sorry, oh my God, Harry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Please forgive me."

"Gin, it's okay, I'm not mortally wounded over here, although I am a bit hurt you gobbled down your stew without a word about what a fantastic cook I am." Harry smiled as she opened her mouth to apologize again, but he stopped her. "I just think you're a bit more on edge about this whole thing then you've let on. And I know you're frustrated because you're laid up with a lame ankle, so you're going a bit spare, too. Just trust me when I say that I am not going to let anything happen to you."

Ginny blinked quickly at him, as though she had something in her eye and looked away. When she looked back again, there was a small smile on her face. "I love you, Harry Potter."

"I know."

Ginny sighed and sat back, looking tired. Harry made a quick cleanup of their dishes and stored the rest of the goulash for later, he had a feeling they'd enjoy the leftovers. Ginny grabbed her crutches and stood up from the table. Harry went to her, wrapping his hands around her waist. He lowered his head to hers, sighing.

"Why don't we go find something to do in the bedroom?" he murmured.

"There's nothing to do in there but sleep. And have sex."

"Well, I thought we could do one, then the other," Harry chuckled. He lowered her crutches and then pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. She grinned at him.

"Showing off?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No, but I really want to get to the bed quicker than you can walk it, at this point."

Ginny laughed, a musical sound that tickled his skin. He carried her to the bed and kissed her as he lay her gently down. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Eventually, Harry pulled back and smiled at her.

"Let me get undressed, first."

"Spoilsport," Ginny said, her voice sounding low and full of need.

"You want to do it?" Harry asked as he pulled his shirt off, adjusting his glasses after he was finished. Ginny put her hands up over her head and lay back, her skin flushing.

"Well, no, now that you mention it, watching you strip is a bit of a turn on, Harry."

Harry smirked at her and jutted his hips out in what he hoped was a sexy way. Ginny giggled as she brought her hands back down.

"Should I play some cheesy music?" she asked, looking at the radio she kept by the bed.

"Nah," Harry said and quickly removed the rest of his clothes. He joined her on the bed, and she smiled at him. He helped her remove her dressing gown, his fingers lingering in a few of his favorite places.

Ginny kissed him as her hand claimed him, and he moaned into her kiss. She was getting to be surprisingly adept at getting him ready. She moved her mouth to his neck, her breath hot against his skin. Harry let his eyes flutter closed, enjoying the feeling of her loving. She moved her head down, and he sighed as she teased one of his nipples with her tongue. He felt her mouth surround it and the gentle pressure of her teeth as she playfully bit him.

Harry opened his eyes and watched her as her head moved steadily downwards. His hands ran slowly through her hair, loving the silky feel of it. She teased him briefly with her tongue, and then her mouth was all around him – warm and wet and _perfect_. He felt his breath hitch as she slowly moved up and then back down again. He knew if he didn't stop her, he'd be out of commission embarrassingly soon. Harry tugged gently on her hair, and she looked up as she pulled her mouth away.

"Yes?"

"It's my turn this time," he reminded her and pushed her gently towards the bed. He lifted her hands back up above her head again, kissed her, and then moved his mouth to her neck, the same way she had done to him. Ginny sighed, and he enjoyed the beautiful color of her flushed and freckled skin. He ducked his head down to her breasts and licked his lips. Harry thought that breasts were absolutely brilliant, and Ginny's were especially so. He teased both nipples into peaks with his thumb and then took one into his mouth, flicking his eyes up to hers. She bit her lip, watching him, her eyes considerably darkened in response.

Without having to ask, he felt her legs move apart, and he used his hand to touch her, finding her wet. He focused his attention on her breast again and sucked at it, teasing her. His fingers rubbed against her, and she moaned, her breath catching. He slipped a finger inside of her and moved his mouth to her other breast, not wanting it to feel left out. Her hand found its way to his head, and she tugged on his hair as he used a second finger, his thumb still keeping time on her center.

Ginny finally pushed her hips upwards, and he smiled against the side of her breast, knowing he had teased her enough. Harry quickly removed his glass and lowered his head toward her sex, breathing in the deep, earthy scent of her. Keeping his fingers inside her, he took her clit into his mouth, moving around it with his tongue. Ginny moaned, a raw and unrestrained sound, and he started pumping his fingers as he continued licking her.

He could feel her body beginning to tremble under him and felt her hands pulling at his hair more frantically. Harry pushed in deeper with his fingers, feeling that soft and spongy spot inside her body and closed his mouth around her bud. She moaned and then panted out his name, a whispered litany of words falling out of her mouth as she came, her legs moving up against his head as she bucked beneath his mouth.

Harry eventually pulled away, sighing and planting one last kiss against her mound. He fumbled for his glasses and smiled as he took in the sight in front of him. Ginny shook her head at him as he moved up to lay next to her and kissed him, her hand lingering on his face.

"You are really fantastic at that," she said, her voice sounding rough.

"You inspire me," Harry said honestly and pushed against her to remind her just how inspired he was. Ginny smirked and looked down at his body.

She brought her eyes back up to meet his gaze, and Harry felt a thrill shoot through him – he knew what that blazing look of hers meant. She was about to suggest something that he'd probably really like.

"Let's do it from behind," she whispered, kissing him. "It shouldn't hurt my ankle to be on all fours now, should it?"

"I think it'll be okay," Harry whispered back as she turned over. Harry sighed as he let his hand run down her back towards her backside. She wiggled it in the air for him, and he playfully slapped it, getting behind her. Ginny leaned forward and then tossed her hair over her shoulder, looking coyly at him.

They had only done it this way a few times, and Harry had been almost too worked up each and every time they had. This time was no exception. He stroked himself for a moment, his hand already slippery with his own excitement. He brought his hand to her body and rubbed her clit, and she half-moaned, still sensitive from her previous orgasm. Ginny pushed back against him aggressively.

"Now, Harry, please."

Harry straightened and positioned himself at her opening, moaning as he slid into her. Her body pulled him in even further, and he leaned forward, curving over her back until they were wholly joined as one.

"Oh, God, Gin, it feels so good," he mumbled, unable to form full thoughts. He started moving, pushing forward with his hips, and she swore loudly. Harry brought his hands around to hold her breasts in his hands, and he felt as though he was already in heaven.

They moved together, the loud sound of their breathing filling her tiny bedroom. Harry pulled back and gripped her hips, taking her hard against him. Grunting in approval, Ginny looked back at him and smirked.

"You little minx," he ground out, moaning as her body tightened around his.

"But you love it," Ginny called back, winking at him.

Harry grinned at her as they moved, because he did indeed, love it. Perhaps a little bit too much, because he was already feeling his body tightening for release. Knowing it was too soon, he tried to think of anything that would make him last longer, but Ginny was moaning his name in that lustful voice of hers, and Harry swore, giving into it. She moaned as he pulled her sharply against him, and then he felt himself emptying into her, his release taking them both by surprise. They continued to move until Harry could no longer feel anything but pure sensation, and they collapsed onto the bed. Harry pulled her into his arms, still pulsing inside of her.

He felt her move and realized she was touching herself, and Harry felt her climax a few moments later as she arched against him. He kissed the side of her neck, whispering how sexy she was to him. There was some part of Harry that adored the fact that she didn't need to rely on him to make herself come.

After she was finished, Ginny sighed happily and wrapped her hands around his, looking up at him.

"I have the best ideas, admit it, Harry."

Harry pulled his glasses off of his face and threw his arm out. "You'll get no argument from me, Red."

"Should we rest?" Ginny asked, shifting in his arms.

Harry nodded, already feeling drowsy. He heard Ginny tsk at him and popped one eye open to blink at her.

"What?"

"Nothing, Harry," she said, laughing. They straightened on the bed, and she was pulling the sheet up over them. She kissed him on the forehead, and she murmured his name again.

"I love you," Harry said, closing his eyes.

He never heard Ginny's answer because he was already dropping away into sleep – his heart, mind, and body, wholly sated and happy.

o-o-o-o-o

"The flowers were delivered, sir."

"Excellent. No doubt she'll begin to wonder if it was me. Just enough to put her on that delicious edge."

Tom Riddle smiled to himself. He did so _love_ to wind her up. It was difficult to go slow, but he knew, in the end, the exquisite joy would be worth it. He would wait until he had her wound up so tight that she wouldn't know who to trust. He steepled his fingers under his chin, thinking about it. Turning towards his assistant, a Peter somebody or other, he allowed his face to remain impassive. He studied the other man for a moment. In all honesty, he couldn't be bothered to learn everyone's names. But the man reminded him of a rat, and the name Wormtail wanted to fly out of his mouth every time he looked at him.

"Is everything set for our gathering tonight?"

"Yes, Lucius should be here beforehand. He is bringing someone who he hopes will please you. A new man in a good position to help us. A Snape something or other. Says he knew the Potters before they died."

Riddle smirked. "You knew the Potters as well, didn't you, Peter?"

The other man turned a dark red color as though embarrassed, but nodded. "Yes. While I was at school."

"What sort of man was James Potter?"

"He was…clever. Charming. He always seemed to get everything he ever wanted. Him and Black were popular and they knew it. They used it to their advantage. His son looks just like him. Probably acts just like him. A cocky son of a bitch."

Riddle hid his smile at the sound of extreme bitterness in the other man's voice. "I can see why Lucius picked you to be my assistant, Peter. We shall have a bit of fun with Potter's offspring, don't worry. You may get a chance to work out any unresolved issues you have with his father, have no fear. Now, please, bring me my drink and make sure no bothers me until Lucius has arrived."

The other man reverently bowed his head, leaving a tray of glasses and ice next to him, along with a tall bottle of a greenish-type liquid that seemed to sparkle in the afternoon light and then left. Tom ran his hand up and down the bottle absentmindedly before finally pouring himself a large drink. He would need his liquid bravery a bit tonight. For tonight was the beginning. He would tell his followers of his plan…his _vision_. And they would either believe and join him or be dealt with accordingly. Blood was needed, after all.

Magic would be released this evening, of that, Riddle was sure.

o-o-o-o-o


	7. Chapter 7

Before long, it was time for the once-a-month Weasley family get together, and Ginny had offered to do the starters, or as her father liked to call them, "the bits of food that keep the Weasleys from killing each other until supper is done." She usually did things like crudités and sausage rolls, but Harry had come up with the brilliant idea of asking Hagrid's chef Norbert to do a few, and she was sure her brothers were going to fall at her feet when they smelled it all. As it was, she was feeling a bit peckish, herself. She'd been smelling the most delicious scents ever since she'd picked them up from the Dragon's Wake a half an hour ago.

She was on her way to get Harry at his house and eventually swing by and get Ron and Hermione. She wasn't sure how they were all going to squeeze into Pig, but they'd manage. Ginny was so glad to be up and about again – spraining her ankle a few weeks ago had to be one of the biggest-smallest annoyances she'd ever experienced.

She pulled into the drive, checked to make sure the food would stay warm in the special carrying case Norbert had given her, and locked Pig. Before she could reach the door, Sirius was opening it to welcome her in.

"Ginny! Go on, he's upstairs. Just finished his shower, I think."

"Thanks, Sirius. How are you? How are things with Zee progressing?"

Harry's godfather gave her a suspicious look. "I won't tell Harry, and I won't tell you, either, but suffice it to say, she's fine. We're just fine. Dating."

Ginny bit back a snort. Harry had told her he'd tried repeatedly to get more info out of Sirius about the nature of his on-going relationship with Zee, but so far, his godfather wasn't saying much. Although she had noticed he'd finally said they were dating. Which was more than what he'd been saying previously.

She ran up the stairs and knocked briefly before opening Harry's door. She found him standing in the middle of his room, a towel hanging low around his waist, looking unbelievably sexy. She smirked as she rested against the doorframe.

"Well, well, leaving it to the last minute as always, Harry."

Harry blinked at her as he slipped his glasses on, looking sheepish. "We were up quite late last night, and I er, fell asleep after lunch. Sorry. We won't be late now, though, Ron just texted and said he and Hermione are taking their car after all, so we have a bit."

Ginny nodded at the good news and closed the door behind her, going to him. She ran her hand through his messy hair and stretched up to kiss him. They had just enough time then. "So, this means we have time to do unspeakable things to each other on your bed?"

Harry wrapped his arms around her, and she moved her hand down his chest to his hips as they kissed. She chuckled as she pulled the towel from around him, leaving him quite naked. And very up. He winked at her as she took him in hand. Just then, they both heard rather loud music start from downstairs, and Harry smirked.

"It would appear Sirius expects us to do _something_. Ear-splitting music is his signal for the commencement of loud shagging."

"Think we can be louder than that racket?" Ginny asked, moving closer to him, only partway kidding. She was glad she'd decided on wearing a dress, as something told her she would need to allow him access to her and soon. She felt her body already start to respond to the sexiness in front of her. They'd hadn't spent a night apart in a long time, and she found she was rather keen to reacquaint herself with her boyfriend's body.

"I'll try my damndest if you do," Harry said now, wrapping his arms around her. He started lifting up the skirt part of her dress as he did so. "Nice dress, by the way."

"I wore it especially."

"I see that and…Gin, you don't have any knickers on! What if there had been a strong breeze at your parent's house?"

"I stuffed an extra pair in my handbag. Besides," Ginny paused as she brought her arms up around his shoulders, her face breaking into a cheeky grin. "I like a nice breeze around my privates."

His green eyes sparkled at that, and he chuckled. Ginny felt it all the way to her toes; that laugh of his could melt a thousand frozen hearts. "I love you," Harry said as he gently pushed her down to the bed.

"I know," Ginny said, smiling and scooting backward to give them more room. "Now get over here and help me make some noise."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said. Neither of them noticed a short while later when Sirius turned the music up even more.

o-o-o-o-o

"Thought you two were picking up Ron and Hermione?" Sirius asked when they entered the kitchen later. Harry smirked at his godfather.

"Plans changed."

"I heard," Sirius chuckled. He raised an eyebrow as Ginny followed Harry. "Miss Weasley, I do believe you have quite the operatic range. And such… _enthusiasm_."

Harry laughed as Ginny felt her cheeks heat, but she didn't deny anything. She merely gave Sirius a wicked look and winked at him. She knew the only way to stop Sirius from taking the piss out of them would be to play him at his own game.

"Well, I didn't want you to think I wasn't… _passionate_ enough for your godson, Sirius." She winked at him as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Sirius let out a loud bark of a laugh and smiled approvingly at her. "Oh, if only I were about 15 years younger, my sweet."

"Hey! I'd hope the first thing would be 'if only my godson weren't madly in love with you'," Harry said, sounding offended. Sirius laughed at them.

"Well, of course, there is that, Harry." Sirius looked contrite until Harry turned around. He gave Ginny a mock-leer, and she snorted.

"You're terrible," she said. "But I'm glad you approve of me." Ginny suddenly felt quite overwhelmed as the emotion hit her. "Really glad, actually."

"Hey, are you all right?" Harry asked, touching her shoulder. Ginny nodded and ducked her head.

"We should go," she murmured, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

They said goodbye and then went outside. Ginny released a deep breath, and Harry frowned at her as they buckled themselves in.

"Second thoughts about our bedroom activities?"

Ginny smiled. "No, just… can't believe I was that daring."

Harry pulled her to him and let his lips graze her forehead. "Well, I, for one, enjoy this more daring side of yours. I think we should explore it more. Say in that treehouse at your parent's place?"

Ginny laughed. "Er, you say that _now_ , Harry, but I think you'll find the idea of one of my brothers catching us to be quite the mood kill."

Harry tilted his head as though really considering it. "Reckon so. Blimey, I'm still knackered. Maybe I should have grabbed a cup of coffee to go."

"Talking about the wedding turned into a long night?" Ginny asked as she pulled out of the drive and started heading towards her parent's house.

"Yeah. God, who knew there were so many…details. Flowers and food and oh lord, Dora and Sirius's arguments about the bloody _band_ , of all things. I thought they were going to really come to blows at one point. When we get married, we're bloody well eloping."

Ginny felt her grip tighten on the wheel and didn't turn her head, wondering if Harry realized what he'd just said. As he sighed and closed his eyes leaning back against the seat, she figured he probably hadn't yet. She slowly reached over and patted his knee and went back to driving. The next time she glanced at him, his eyes were still closed, and his glasses were now hanging slightly off his face. She figured he really was quite tired and drove the rest of the way in silence, not wanting to disturb him.

But within her own mind, there was one phrase going around and around inside of it: _when we get married, when we get married, when we get married, when we get married…_

Harry hadn't said if, but _when_. And he'd just said it so casually. As though he'd clearly thought of it before. He'd cataloged it, put it out there, and already knew what he wanted. And apparently, he wanted her.

_Mrs Ginny Potter._

She felt the smile beginning to grow on her face. And she knew if anyone saw her right now, they'd think she'd gone 'round the twist. But she couldn't help it. She had assumed blokes weren't supposed to think about that stuff – at least, that was what the conventional wisdom said. None of her brothers, save for Ron and Bill, had actually settled down. She knew Fred and George would probably be bachelors for life, and even goal-oriented Percy, had not managed to get married yet. As for Charlie, Ginny knew he was too into his lizards and traveling the globe to settle down.

Most of her girlfriends had always bemoaned their single state. Or, if they were seeing someone regularly, they thought they'd won the relationship lottery if they could just find a bloke who didn't cheat on them or one who at least remembered to call them once in a while. And here she was, madly in love and apparently, loved enthusiastically back in return by the sweetest man ever.

As she turned Pig onto the small road to her parent's house, she glanced at Harry again, feeling a burst of emotion move through her. Goodness, but she loved him.

She brought the car to a stop, and Harry yawned, stretching in his seat, looking around.

"We're here already? Oh, I fell asleep again, didn't I? Sorry..."

Ginny practically climbed over the seat into Harry's arms, feeling quite affectionate, suddenly. She kissed him squarely on the mouth and then sighed happily as he kissed her back.

"Er, what was that for?" he asked as they finally broke apart. "And do you really want your family to see us snogging in your car? They'll tease us all night."

"I don't care, I just needed to kiss you. I love you, Harry Potter."

Harry gave her a little smile. "Thanks. I love you, too. I think we've established that many, many times today. Maybe I should spend more time away; you seem to miss me an awful lot. I like the rewards. Unbelievable loud shagging, no knickers under dresses, and fairly sexy snogging in a car."

Ginny snorted and then wiped her lipstick off his mouth for him and sat back. "Play your cards right, and we'll get to even more rewards later." She waggled her eyebrows at him.

Harry chuckled as they got out of the car. He raised his hand in greeting, and Ginny realized her Mum was already walking out to meet them. Harry gave her a wink as she turned to get the food out of the car, knowing that her face was probably flushed pink. Maybe Harry did have a point about not getting caught by her family, after all.

o-o-o-o-o

As usual, it was total bedlam at her parent's house, and Ginny was thankful she could escape it a bit to visit with her father in his shed. He showed her the latest gadget he was working on, and when she emerged a bit later, she was surprised to see that Neville Longbottom and his girlfriend Hannah had been invited. Neville raised his hand in greeting to her, and she smiled, nodding back at him. She looked for Harry and didn't see him. Fred, George, and Ron were kicking a football back and forth between the three of them and shouted at her to join them. Ginny shook her head while pointing at her dress and non-sport-like-shoes and tried to find Harry in the house.

She finally found him on the second-floor landing, looking at the family photographs there. She watched him a moment, shaking her head. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled at her.

Ginny joined him and looked at the photos he was staring at. "I was wondering where you'd wandered off to."

"I had to use the loo, and then I started noticing all of these great photos. Look at you in this one, you're tiny, Gin. How old are you?"

Ginny frowned at the photo, trying to place it. "Hmm, about six or so? I think it was after I'd taken a tumble a few weeks before and broke my arm…look, see the edge of the cast there?"

Harry nodded. "How'd you break it?"

"Fred and George, of course. They told me that I could fly if I really thought about it. I had just watched Peter Pan, and they told me all it took was happy thoughts. I foolishly believed them."

Harry had a horrified look on his face. "You mean they actually took you up on the roof?"

"Oh, no, they had no idea I'd climb out onto the window ledge and try it myself. I actually didn't fall. George happened to be coming up to get me for dinner, and he caught me just in time. Oh, you should have heard the shouting Mum gave them. It broke because he lunged so hard for me to pull me back inside that it frightened me, and I tripped all over myself _and_ him, landing straight on it. Not one of my more graceful moments, needless to say."

"This one I like," Harry said, moving on, looking at one near the top. "You must be what, 16 or so, here? You were so pretty, even then."

Ginny smirked at him as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hardly. I was awkward and freckled and very ginger. Goodness me, the only thing I had going for me was that I could play football really well. I was also quite flat-chested and very un-girly."

"Nonsense, you look sweet."

Ginny raised her eyebrow at him.

"What? You do. And besides, I like your freckles, I love your hair, and you definitely developed other attributes later." He ran his hand up her arm, his eyes sparkling with humor.

"This is because Sirius showed me your baby photos last time, isn't it?"

Harry chuckled. "No. I was interested. And besides, you have a huge family and loads of photographs. I guess I was trying to see if I could understand how it felt to grow up with so much…love."

Ginny frowned and tugged on his hand. "Harry, your godfather and uncle love you very much, you know that."

He nodded. "Yeah, but it was never like…well, all of this." He waved his hand at the wall. "There's so many of you guys. I reckon I've never really understood what that felt like, really."

They looked at more of the photographs in comfortable silence until Ginny pulled him into one of the bedrooms. He smirked at her.

"Is this legal? You having a boy in your room?"

"I think so," she said grinning. "Besides, it hasn't been my room in a while. Now it's just bedroom number 3 to the right of the loo."

They moved closer together and kissed until Ginny was forcing herself to pull away. She sighed as she rested her head against his chest. His hand was playing with her hair, sending little shivers down her back.

"Do you want kids, Gin?"

"What, like, now? Telling a child they were conceived in their grandparent's house seems a bit much, but I'm game to try if you are, Harry."

Harry laughed, the sound full and deep against her ear. She smirked up at him. His eyes filled with affection as he looked at her.

"No, and that's not what I meant. I reckon I meant…in general. You know, someday."

"Of course. I think I'd like one of each. A boy and a girl. A girl to take after her father and a boy to take after me."

Harry grinned at her. "Isn't that backward?"

"Well, the girl will have all _his_ best parts, and a boy will get all _my_ best parts, and it'll all even out in the middle."

"I see. You have given this some thought."

Ginny nodded. "Quite. And what about you? You probably want a whole caravan full, don't you?"

Harry blushed but shrugged. "Well, no, not a whole one. But…maybe, three?"

"Hmm, sounds negotiable," Ginny murmured, stretching up to kiss him again.

"Ew! Get a room, you two!" A voice called from the hallway. Ginny looked over Harry's shoulder and saw George making a face at them.

"Ah, Georgie? They are in a room," Fred said as he joined her brother. He winked at Ginny. "Giving Harry the whole tour, eh, sis?"

"Do you two want something?" Ginny asked them pointedly. Harry turned, keeping his arm around her waist, she noted with approval. The first time the twins had caught her and Dean kissing, Dean had pulled his hand away as though burned. She had been embarrassed by _his_ embarrassment.

"Yeah, Mum says to stop corrupting young Mr Potter here and get your arses down to dinner," George said dryly.

"Now George, you know Mum would never tell her to stop corrupting Harry," Fred chastised his sibling.

"Oh, right, because she already knows he's a lost cause. Cheers, Harry. Come on, Fred, the more they linger up here, making out, the more mashed potatoes they'll be for us."

Ginny scowled at her brothers as they left, but Harry merely chuckled. She glanced at him. "Really, you don't know what you're missing by not having a big family full of gits. Truly."

"Yeah, I can tell you love it," Harry said, taking her hand and heading for the door. "You know you do."

"Not always," she warned.

Harry brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. Ginny felt her insides start to melt a bit and gave him a sheepish grin. "They really will take all the mashed potatoes, you know. And probably half the roast as well. They're not joking."

"We'll survive," Harry said calmly. "Besides, your mum already told me she made some plates for us to take home to Sirius and Remus. We can always eat theirs. I er, may have mentioned they haven't had a good home-cooked meal in a while."

Ginny snorted. "You're diabolical sometimes, you know that?"

"It's how I won your heart, after all, Red."

Ginny turned and stopped him on the stairs, her hand going to his chest. "You won my heart by being unbelievably charming."

"And debonair?"

"Hmm, well, I was trying to rescue you from Romilda Vane's clutches. You weren't all that debonair. Not at first."

"No, true. But you have to admit you later fell for my…" Harry paused, his eyes filling with mischief. " _My keystrokes_."

Ginny burst out laughing and shook her head at him as they joined her family, already claiming their favorite foods. They took their seats across from each other, and Harry gave her a teasing smile before he started filling his plate. Ginny sighed and noticed a knowing look pass over her Mum's face as she watched them, but she realized she didn't care. _We're going to have a family together one day,_ Ginny thought, and she realized that the idea didn't fill her with anxiety or fear. Harry just had a way of doing that to her.

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Hannah had all managed to walk the short way to the pond behind her parents' house. Harry and Ron were skipping stones across its surface; well, they were trying to, at any rate, and the four of them were watching their attempts with amusement. Hermione would offer her advice every so often, which only made her brother scowl at her and ignore her suggestions. Harry would usually win that round, Ginny noted.

Ginny wandered down the other side of the pond, noting that she should tell Fred and George to come over to help their father mow some of the grass down. It would be autumn soon, and it would be nice not to have a wild mess. She sensed rather than heard Hannah walking behind her. She turned and smiled at the other woman.

"Sorry, am I intruding?" Hannah asked, her pale skin blushing slightly.

"No, not really. How have you been, Hannah? It's been a while since we've seen each other." And it had. Hannah had been one of the other girls that helped her get Tom Riddle put away. Tom had terrorized them both in his own way, but he had been far more physical with Hannah, and she had born the scars long after the physical ones had faded.

"Good. I'm almost done with school finally. It was hard to go back to it after everything that happened. But Neville's been a sweetheart. He's the only good thing to come out of…well, that whole thing, really."

Ginny nodded, wondering what the other girl wanted.

"I like Harry," Hannah continued, looking back at the group. "He seems really nice. How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, since the end of spring, beginning of summer. So six months or so, I reckon. Maybe seven," Ginny frowned to herself. She never knew when to count the start of their relationship – when they actually started as Harry and Ginny, or when they had been Harry and _Red._

"Ron mentioned to Neville that you, er, told him about Tom," Hannah's voice was soft, and she was looking out across the pond as Ginny glanced at her.

"They notified you too, didn't they?" Ginny asked. Hannah nodded her head slowly.

"At first, it scared me,"Hannah said. "I felt like I did back then for the smallest second of time – full of anxiety and fear and…well, I had a bit of a panic attack, really. I still get them from time to time, but Neville found me and helped me. Like I said, he's a sweetheart. Then after that, I just felt…angry. Like how dare he be a model prisoner and be allowed to walk out in the world again. Of course, we know him better than anyone, don't we?"

Hannah turned to her, a fierce light in her eyes that Ginny was surprised to see in the usually timid woman. She nodded her head. "Reckon so. He could charm a snake out of its skin if he wanted."

Hannah gave a bitter laugh. "No doubt he could, but I don't think he'd try; he likes them too much, remember?"

Ginny looked away and felt herself shudder. Yes, Tom had had a fascination with all things… _ophidian_. Just one of his many strange quirks that she should have realized was off. But her brother liked lizards for Pete's sake, and hadn't she thought it was just something as innocent as that? Ginny shook herself and tuned back into what Hannah was saying.

"And then after that, I think…I just felt acceptance. I always knew he'd be let out, I think. He's too…slippery. He'd appreciate that as a compliment. The git."

"I've decided not to let it bother me," Ginny offered Hannah. "He's…he's not a part of my life and never will be. If he tries anything, we'll just do what we did last time and get him put away again. We can't let him scare us into not living our lives, you know?"

Hannah nodded, but didn't say anything. They soon heard Neville and Harry calling for them, and Ginny realized they'd walked a bit further away than she'd meant. She moved closer to Hannah and wrapped her arm around the other woman.

"Come on, let's shake off this…whatever it is. Tom doesn't have power over us anymore, Hannah. We can't give it to him again by worrying about him. He's not worth it. We both have two excellent blokes who love us, and that's all that matters. Tom Riddle is…he's nothing. He's in the past."

Hannah nodded and then gave her a little smile. "I wish I felt as strong as you, sometimes, Ginny. I have no idea how you made it through the whole thing. We should have kept in touch more, I think."

Ginny nodded as they started walking back towards their friends. "Then let's start now. We'll exchange numbers and meet for lunch, just the two of us, okay?"

Hannah nodded as they swapped phones, each inputting their info into the other. They continued walking together, and Ginny released her as they reached the men, watching as Neville pulled Hannah close for a moment. She looked at Harry, who was watching her with concern on his face. Ginny smiled and went to him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"So who won the Rock Skipping Battle?"

"Me, of course," Harry said, a broad smile filling his face. "Weasley, zero, Potter, one."

"Only because I wasn't playing, Harry."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I know, love."

He pulled her to him before they reached the house, using his finger to tip her chin up. "Are you okay? You two looked like you were having a serious talk. Neville mentioned Hannah was involved with the whole Riddle business."

"It's good..it's fine," Ginny said, not really wanting to talk about it. She kissed his finger playfully. "Is it time to go yet? I feel the need to get you naked again."

Harry blushed, but grinned at her in response. "I think we may have overstayed our welcome, most definitely."

"Your place, or mine?"

"Yours. I don't think I could take all the loud music again."

Ginny snickered at him. "It did make you very enthusiastic though, you have to admit."

Harry laughed. "You as well. But maybe this time, I want to go slow. And enjoy…things." His eyes traveled up and down her body, and Ginny felt herself grow warm despite the evening's oncoming chill.

"Sounds promising," she said, smiling at him.

As they made their way back into the house to say their final goodbyes, Ginny caught Hannah's eye again, and the other woman gave her a wave and held up her phone to indicate she would be calling. Ginny was okay with it, really. She could always use a new friend, and Hannah had been right – they _should_ have kept in touch after it had all happened. Ginny could talk to however many people she wanted, but Hannah knew what it had really been like without having to be told. And maybe, somewhere, if he ever found out, it would anger Tom Riddle to know that the two women he'd bothered were doing just fine, despite his attempts to break them.

o-o-o-o-o

Much later, at her apartment, Ginny was standing at the kitchen counter, waiting for her kettle to boil. She stretched and smiled to herself, replaying how "slow" she and Harry had actually taken things when they'd got back and couldn't help her smirk. He really was an extremely focused and attentive lover when he wanted to be, which thankfully appeared to be most of the time. Ginny honestly couldn't understand why his previous girlfriend, Cho Chang, had never appreciated that about him. Or at least, that is how it appeared to Ginny. Harry didn't speak of the relationship that often, true, but she always got the sense the other woman had not enjoyed him enough.

"Her loss, my gain," she murmured to herself as the kettle started to go off, and she pulled her favorite blend out of the cupboard and started making a small pot.

"Who's loss, exactly?" Harry asked as he came over to her, in just his boxers. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and sighed happily.

"Cho Chang's, actually," Ginny said, feeling bold. Harry raised an eyebrow and moved aside to stand next to her.

"And why were you discussing Cho with yourself just now?"

"I thought it was her loss that she never allowed herself to get to know you like I know you," Ginny said, running her hand down his mid-section, teasing him with a light scrape of her nails. Harry grinned at her and hopped up on the counter, pulling out of her grasp.

Harry didn't say anything and watched her swirl the water in the pot for a moment. "Cho was all right. But perhaps she doesn't think of not having me anymore as a loss, Gin. Ever think of that?"

Ginny poured the warm water out and then placed the tea leaves into the pot's bottom, glancing at him. "Impossible, Harry. Empirically speaking, you are a fantastic lover, and if it had been me, I would have never let you go without a fight."

Harry smirked at her. "Willing to fight for me, are you? Is that what you're saying?"

"Of course," Ginny said, finishing up with the tea. She set the timer and settled herself in between his legs, her hands on his thighs. "I protect what's mine. It's a Weasley family trait."

"Oh, it is? You're all possessive gits?"

"We're proud and protective, yes, I think that is what you meant to say."

Harry chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Cho and I just didn't work like you and I do, that's all. I seriously doubt that it's a character flaw for her."

"You're far too honorable," Ginny teased. "You're supposed to bad mouth your exes, don't you know that?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't know that, and I'm surprised at you, actually. But then again, you've had a rougher time than me. The worse thing I ever did to Cho was probably bore her. Your ex, on the other hand…"

Ginny opened her mouth and then closed it. She honestly didn't want to talk about Dean cheating on her. Not because she didn't want to be upset, but because Ginny realized she just didn't care anymore. The timer went off, and she moved to the tea, pouring it into two different cups. She took hers straight but reached into the fridge to hand him milk for his. They moved to the settee, and Ginny settled against him as he stretched out. His body felt warm and wonderful underneath hers, and she sighed, contentedly.

"What brought all this on, anyway?" Harry finally asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I was just thinking about how amazing you are and how lucky I am to have you."

"I'm the lucky one, Red," Harry whispered, his mouth near her ear. She shivered as he kissed her neck. Ginny pulled his hand into hers and let her eyes drift closed for a moment. She opened them a moment later, remembering her talk with Hannah.

"Actually, it was probably something Hannah said earlier when we were talking. She said Neville had been such a sweetheart about the whole thing, and what she went through was far worse than what Tom managed to do to me. He was physical with her. He hurt her. I just got terrorized."

"That doesn't make it feel any less horrible," Harry interjected, and she nodded, glancing up at him.

"I know. But…seeing Neville taking care of her just reminded me of how you take care of me, and I just…felt amazed that you're mine, and I can't imagine anyone not wanting you."

"You're brilliant for my shattered former-football-star ego, you know," Harry chuckled.

Ginny twisted and turned so she could face him. "I'm not just trying to flatter you, though, Harry. I honestly don't understand how Cho could…not want to be with you. You're so good, inside here." She patted his chest where his heart was, and he clasped her hand into his.

"You've been very emotional today, is there anything else going on? I mean, I'm pleased you feel that way about me, obviously, but…I noticed it earlier, at the house."

Ginny shrugged. "Must be having one of those days. I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize, it's just…I want to make sure you're okay."

Ginny felt her heart fill again with love for him and just shook her head. She knew if she kept on, he would probably eventually start to fear for her sanity or something. She did sound a bit like a prat, she supposed.

"What would Red type in a letter if she were here now?" Harry whispered, holding her.

"She'd probably delete the letter before she hit send," Ginny said dryly. "Red had a better sense of self-preservation than I do."

"I say we go back to bed and try to sleep, and in the morning, I will make you breakfast, and you'll be back to feeling like a Queen again, and none of this self-doubt or worry will matter. Okay, Red?"

Ginny smiled at him. "Sounds like a plan."

They stood up, and Harry moved their teacups to the sink. He took her hand, leading her back to the bed. Ginny sighed as he tucked her in and then turned off the lights before settling behind her, his hands wrapping around her waist.

"Love you," he murmured, his breath warm against her back.

"Love you, too," Ginny said, closing her eyes. But it took her too long to fall asleep and much longer than Harry, he probably was asleep right after he'd closed his eyes. Ginny lay in the dark for a long time, thinking about everything in her life that she wanted to keep close and precious to her.

o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, as promised, Harry made her a fabulous breakfast and afterwards they lounged on the settee, playing video games and talking. She felt less emotional, and more like herself, so she wasn't really expecting the phone call when it came.

Harry tossed her phone at her, smirking at her as he headed to the loo and she caught it as she put down the controller. She had just beaten him again and was feeling pretty good about herself.

"Hello, World's Reigning Football Champion, Ginny Weasley, at your service," she said as she heard Harry snort from the bedroom.

"Hello, Ginevra."

Ginny felt as though everything came to a screeching halt inside of her. Too stunned to say anything, she merely clutched the phone to her ear, the cold sensation of fear filling her.

"Enjoying your Sunday, my dear? You always did like the weekends, didn't you? Did he cook breakfast? Did you make love on the settee or in the bed? I have to say that even though I am jealous, I am mildly curious, as well. Does he make you happy, Ginny?"

His voice was like silk and even through the phone she could hear the smile in his voice. Without thinking about it, Ginny threw the phone away from her and it hit the wall with a deafening thud. Harry came back out of the bedroom frowning at her.

"Why did you throw your phone? Ginny?" He looked at her, the expression on his face one of worry. "Are you okay?"

Without saying anything, Ginny stood and moved past him, running towards the loo. She knew that the contents of Harry's wonderful breakfast were about to come tumbling out of her. She heaved forward and barely made it, her hair falling over her in a red wave. Everything felt red to Ginny – as though the color itself were the personification of her fear and anger. She heaved and heaved until she was just making short gagging sounds and she became aware of Harry touching her back, saying her name.

She sat back and closed her eyes, and realized she had tears running down her face, but not caring. She could still hear him. Hear the mocking tone…

"Gin?"

She finally opened her eyes and took the flannel Harry was offering her and wiped her face and mouth off, suddenly feeling disgusted with herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmured, and she clutched his hand.

"What's wrong?"

"It was him. Riddle. On the phone. Just now."

Harry swore and he stood suddenly, leaving the loo. Probably to grab her phone. Ginny concentrated on getting air into her lungs and then pushing it back out. In and out. She realized her hands were both in tight fists and tried to relax them, one finger at a time.

"It says unknown number, and when I call it back it doesn't connect," Harry said, staring at her phone, frowning.

"Help me up, Harry, please."

He slipped the phone into his pocket and held out his hand, reaching for her. She let him lead her into the bedroom and she sighed as she sank down into the comfort of her blankets and pillows.

"How did he get my number?" Ginny asked out loud.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Harry said, sounding determined, and got off the bed as though he was on a mission.

Ginny reached for him. "Can you just…can you just hold me for a bit?"

The angry look in his eyes faded away as he looked at her, and he rejoined her on the bed. "Of course," he said softly. He wrapped himself around her and Ginny burrowed down as far as she could into his arms.

"What did he say?" Harry eventually asked.

"Something stupid, something about how I like the weekends or, I don't know, I don't want to talk about it right now. Just hold me."

Harry made shushing noises and pulled her in tighter, murmuring soft words that really didn't make any sense to Ginny, but she was only half-listening anyway. She just concentrated on the sound of Harry's voice, hoping that with each moment that passed that it would help put the sound of Riddle's voice out of her mind.

o-o-o-o-o


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

* * *

A week or so after what Harry liked to call the "phone call incident," they were in the back seat of Dora's car, heading out to help the couple find a place to hold both their wedding _and_ reception. The church Dora had wanted to use was, unfortunately, going to be closed for renovations. A recent storm had made this a very much needed occurrence, as half the rectory roof had decided to cave in. Still set on getting married in the Chawleigh-Chulmleigh area, Harry had offered his assistance to help them as a way to possibly get Ginny out of what had been an increasingly tetchy mood (and also out of the flat).

They had contacted Neville right after she'd received the call, but he had been unable to do anything. The call had neither been long enough nor done from an active number, and they didn't have any proof it was Riddle other than Ginny's dead certainty. It had most likely been a burner-phone. Harry glanced at Ginny, sitting next to him, playing with the new mobile he'd bought her. She had cracked the screen on her other one when she'd thrown it and, besides, she wouldn't touch it after the whole thing. Harry had also paid for her to get a brand-new number.

She glanced at him and gave him a small smile and looked back down, flipping through her contacts, apparently trying to add everyone she could remember. He squeezed her leg with his hand and sighed, trying not to be worried about her.

"So which place are looking at first?" he asked now, leaning forward to talk to Dora over the seat.

"The Lion and Badger hotel," Dora said, from behind the wheel. Next to her, Remus snorted.

"What?" Dora asked, glancing at him.

"Well, _lion_ , I understand, but badger? How did those two ever get together?"

"I like badgers!" Dora exclaimed as she went around a turn, slowing down momentarily. "They're very loyal and have…tenacity."

"Yeah, Remus, she identifies with badgers, of course. Tenacity is something she has in spades," Harry said, laughing. Remus smirked at him, while Dora only rolled her eyes.

"Yes, love, you do," Remus said fondly, patting her arm. He met Harry's eyes, his expression filling with humor.

"Well, it took _something_ to finally convince you we should be together, after all, Mr Lupin," Dora said, sounding disgruntled.

Harry chuckled and sat back against the seat, looking over at Ginny. She was now staring out the window, looking slightly lost. He scooted over and took her hand into his.

"All right there?" he murmured.

She turned her head and nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I'm so quiet. It was a long week."

Harry nodded. He'd heard from Ian that Ginny had seemed a bit down at work. He had almost been tempted to ask Ian to give her some more time off, but he knew she would never stand for it. She didn't want anyone thinking that dating him meant she wasn't pulling her weight, work-wise. It was a touchy subject between the two of them, to be honest, and he knew they both went out of their way to avoid talking about it. The fact that she had already missed work because of her ankle definitely meant the idea to take some time now wouldn't be acceptable to her, Harry knew.

The car was approaching what looked like an elegant set of red brick buildings, and Dora turned off to the left to find the car park. After getting Remus set in his chair, the four of them headed towards the main building to meet with the hotel's wedding planner.

Harry thought it was actually a nice place, although he was not sure he would pick it for his own wedding. He wouldn't mind getting married right in Godric's Hollow like his parents had – St Jerome's was a splendid church and quite posh looking, really. He wondered if Ginny had any thoughts on the subject. She was walking up ahead with Dora, and the sun made her hair look like a brilliant burst of fire in the middle of their afternoon. It made something almost hungry tighten in the region below his stomach. Every now and then, Ginny simply knocked his socks off by doing something as simple as existing. Remus cleared his throat, and Harry smiled at him.

"Was I staring? Mouth agape, drool running down my chin?"

Remus chuckled. "A bit, but it's okay, she didn't notice." He paused a moment to let the women get ahead of them a bit more. "How is she coping with things?"

Harry held back a sigh. "She's…she's down. She doesn't really want to talk about it much, and after Neville told us there is nothing they can do yet, I think she sort of went back into herself. She's not moping or anything I can really get after her about, but…she just seems subdued."

"You have to give her time, Harry. She's had a shock. And it probably brought back a lot of bad memories that she doesn't want to associate with you."

"But, I want to help her!" Harry exclaimed and then closed his mouth quickly, hoping Ginny hadn't heard his outburst. He had been louder than he'd meant. Remus stopped the forward movement of his chair, and Harry looked at him.

"Ginny wants her past life and the life she has with you to be separate, I think. So if you keep bringing up this Riddle person, I think she's afraid it will take away from what she's built with you, now."

Harry frowned at his uncle. "That's a bit stupid. I can't not talk to her about her past, especially if he is going to try something again."

"Think of your accident, Harry. Do you talk to Ginny about that?"

"No, not really."

"It's sort of the same thing if you think about it. You don't like to talk about it, and she doesn't like to talk about this. You can't push her."

"I know, and I haven't been, but…"Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair as they started moving again. "I just want her to know I'm here, waiting to help her."

"She knows that, Harry. And I think she will start talking about it, eventually. You just have to give her time. Which I know is the hardest thing to give."

Harry looked at Ginny as she waited with Dora. He knew his uncle was right. Truth be told, Sirius had once jokingly told him he had a bit of a "saving person thing" when he was a kid. Harry had tried to save a friend's kitten that had become stuck in a tree, and he had managed to hurt himself in the process. Harry always wanted everyone he knew to be safe and happy and not upset. If that was a saving person thing, then he would plead guilty every time. But he also knew that he did not want to push Ginny if she wasn't ready. Or comfortable.

By the time the men reached the women, another person had joined them. Harry was dumbfounded to see it was none other than Padma Patil from his Sports-center. _She had two jobs?_

"Remus, Harry, this is _Parvati_ Patil, Padma's sister," Ginny said, understanding Harry's confusion.

"I didn't know she was a twin, did you?" He asked Ginny as Parvati starting talking to Remus and Dora. Ginny nodded.

"It was Padma who suggested this place, and I told Dora about it when we had dinner with them the other night."

"Where was I?" Harry wondered out loud, and Ginny gave him a little smirk.

"In the kitchen with Sirius, trying to make s'mores ice cream sandwiches."

"Oh," Harry said, understanding. That had been a colossal mess; he should have never let Sirius talk him into it. The ice cream had melted _everywhere_. Instead of actual hard biscuits, Sirius had suggested using sponge, and that had been the beginning of the end. Now that he got a good look at Padma's sister, he could tell they weren't really all that much alike. Parvati seemed to be extremely sociable, Padma was quiet as a mouse.

Ginny took his hand as they walked behind the other couple, and Harry pulled her in closer.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, knowing he sounded like a broken record, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm getting better. It's nice to be out of the flat for a bit. You were right."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, suddenly unable to keep the smile from his face. "Could we get a repeat of that for the judges?"

Ginny smirked, wider this time, and shook her head. "I'm only saying it once."

"Can't blame a bloke for trying, Gin." Harry nuzzled her neck and gave her a brief kiss.

"Come on, you, let's see if Dora is happy with the facilities," Ginny said, tugging on his hand.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry had to admit to himself as they finished their tour, that the hotel had more to offer wedding couples than he'd initially thought. They had a lovely back lawn, complete with marquee, a wedding "treehouse" and a great view of the local river. And it was a hotel, so people coming in for the wedding would have a place to stay without too much bother, he reckoned. He was learning all sorts of new things about what it took to get married, and he wasn't sure he was quite ready for all that information yet.

For her part, Ginny seemed amused and yet blasé at the same time. But he was glad he had brought her along, as Dora clearly needed another woman to squeal excitedly to about things. It was alarming, actually. He'd never thought Dora was the type to care about table settings and flowers. Remus, for his part, seemed happily resigned to letting her do whatever she wanted.

They met up with Sirius and Zee at a local pub, claiming a long table in their beer garden for their own. Zee and his godfather looked positively windswept – having just arrived on Sirius's brand new motorbike.

"Harry!" Zee said, smiling at him. She gave him a brief hug. "How are you?"

"Fine, and you? Sirius told me you just got back from Zimbabwe?"

Zee nodded as she took the seat across from him, next to his godfather. "I'm involved with an animal rescue group, and I've been there many times. If you ever feel the urge to go on safari, let me know. I know all the best spots. Non-hunting ones, of course."

They placed their orders, Toad in the Hole for Harry, and a spiced beef sandwich for Ginny. After taking a drink of her pint, Ginny looked at Zee with interest. "My brother Charlie went to Victoria Falls a few years back. He said it was phenomenal."

"Ah, the Smoke that Thunders," Zee said, nodding. "It is absolutely stunning. A nice place for a honeymoon."

Ginny blushed and glanced at Harry. "I've never been out of Great Britain, so any place different would probably be amazing."

"Really? Never?" Harry asked her, stealing one of her chips. Ginny patted his hand away with a smile.

"Never. I even got excited when Ron and Hermione went to the U.S."

"Maybe we should travel. Go on a few trips, see how we…handle a holiday together," Harry said, grinning.

"Yes, Ginny, you haven't lived until you've tried to get this one to pack. Waits to the last minute every single time," Sirius interjected.

"I do not. I just don't know what I want to take until the day of. I pack according to mood."

"Uh-huh," Sirius said, smirking. He looked at Ginny. "His father was the same way, there's no cure. I'll just apologize now and say I tried to raise him better, but even the great Sirius Black cannot go against years of innate Potter laziness."

Harry rolled his eyes. "At least, I'm neat about it. You go through the house like a cyclone."

Zee giggled and poked Sirius with her elbow. "Harry's right, you do. And I've only known you for a short time, and we've just been on one trip together."

"Yes, well," Sirius paused and looked at Remus and Dora as though looking for a change of subject. "So, how did the hotel pan out, Moony? Did you like it?"

Harry had not realized Zee and Sirius had traveled anywhere together yet and wondered if that was why his godfather had maneuvered the conversation's focus to someone else. The talk turned to the wedding planning again, and Harry tuned it out. Ginny rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, offering him a chip. Harry opened his mouth and took it, savoring its salty goodness as he chewed. He flashed her a grateful smile.

"You understand my weakness for fried potatoes, bless you, Ginny Weasley."

She snorted at him. "I just don't understand why you don't get yourself your own order of them, instead of trying to pilfer mine."

"They taste even better when they're from someone else's plate," Harry said, taking another one. "Fewer calories, too, I think."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. What's the next place we're off to, after this?"

"Um, someplace called Hayne. It's run by a couple of brothers, I think Dora said. It's not far. Why, are you getting tired?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm actually enjoying myself. But I never realized how much work went into planning a wedding."

"Tell me about it," Harry nodded. "At least they narrowed it down to these two places to look at. I think Dora wanted to traverse the entire countryside looking for the perfect spot. She had a list of fifteen places, originally."

"I'm only getting married once, Harry Potter, I want it to be perfect!" Dora shouted over everyone, having heard the derision in his voice. Harry felt his cheeks heat.

"Sorry, Dora, you're right."

Harry turned back to Ginny and murmured. "She's got bloody excellent hearing apparently."

Ginny chuckled and offered him the rest of her chips, giving up on her plate. "I think you're right, we should definitely elope when it's our turn."

Harry paused mid-chew and then swallowed roughly. Ginny didn't notice and started talking to Zee about all the other places she had visited. He watched her and felt his heart beat faster. Had he mentioned eloping? Come to think of it, had he even mentioned _marriage_ to Ginny before? _Yeah, reckon I did_ , he thought, smiling to himself. It was interesting to Harry that not only had it not freaked her out, but that she agreed with him. He caught Sirius giving him a knowing look and made a face at his godfather.

They finished eating, and Sirius and Zee bid them farewell, having made other plans for the afternoon. As his godfather hugged him goodbye, he ruffled Harry's hair like he was a child.

"Still got that item we dug out of storage a few weeks ago, kid?"

"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, his voice hushed as he glanced at Ginny. He pulled away and started smoothing his hair down in a fit of nervousness.

"Just checking," Sirius said, smiling. "Something tells me you'll be using it sooner rather than later. Maybe Moony and Dora have created wedding fever. It's highly contagious, apparently."

"Oh, so that you means you and Zee are next then, right?"

"Let me just ask you one thing, Godson, do you or do you not have that object on you now?"

Harry felt his cheeks heat and looked away. Damn Sirius for knowing him so well.

Sirius winked at Harry as he climbed aboard his motorbike, handing Zee her helmet. Zee swung her legs around and wrapped her hands around Sirius's waist as he started the bike's engine. Ginny stood next to Harry, watching them as they roared out of the car park.

"That looks like fun," she said, as Harry took her hand. "And sexy."

"Oh? Should I get a motorbike? Can't say I've ever really wanted one, but if you think it's sexy…"

Ginny smiled as they headed towards Dora's car. "You have plenty of other things about you that are sexy, you don't need the bike."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," Harry said, laughing. "I can just be dorky old me, and you still feel impressed."

Ginny shook her head as they got in the car. "You're not dorky, you're a speccy git, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, right."

"To be fair, Ginny, there is only a slight difference between the two," Dora said from the front seat as she started the car.

"My loving family, everyone," Harry said to the car, shaking his head.

"We're just keeping you humble, Harry," Remus said, laughing.

It was just as short drive to the next location – a wedding venue named Hayne. It was close to the Lion and Badger, but still a bit off the beaten path. Dora made an _ooh_ noise as they turned down the long drive. It was very green, Harry had to admit. It was almost an overgrown path but was clearly well-tended. The trees and other plant life had a natural yet manageable appearance. He liked it immediately. Even Ginny oohed when they came across the main building. It had large windows, with copper and silver accruements, and the building practically sparkled in the afternoon light.

A pair of men came out of the office section, waving at them as they parked.

"Hi, I'm Dennis Creevey, this is my brother, Colin. Welcome to Hayne. You must be Dora Tonks and Remus Lupin?"

Dora seemed pleased they knew them and smiled. "I think I spoke with you on the phone last week, Colin? Yes, and this is my nephew-to-be, Harry Potter and his girlfriend, Ginny."

"You're related to Ron Weasley, aren't you? I can tell from the red hair. He helped our Mum when she broke her ankle a few years back." The one named Dennis held his hand out to Harry and Ginny, as Colin followed suit.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, he's my brother."

Colin turned to Harry. "And Blimey, you're actually _the_ Harry Potter! Football star! We've watched all your games!"

Harry smiled. " _Former_ football star, but yeah, guilty as charged."

"Well, what we like to do when someone visits for the first time," Dennis said, opening his arm towards the building. "Is to let them wander around for a bit without us, and discover why Hayne is the best place for their wedding. Through here is the main banquet hall, where we have room for dancing, band set up and full bar, of course. We also have a full bar in the barn. You're planning on the end of October, right? Well, as we all know, Devon weather can be a bit dimpsy, so you'll be pleased to know that our building has a biomass under-floor heating system to keep everyone perfectly warm and comfortable."

"We also have fire pits and other ways of staying warm outside, once the sun goes down, as well," Colin offered as they walked through the doors, heading towards the back. "And I am also a professional photographer, and would more than happy to show you some examples of my previous shoots if you didn't have anyone in mind yet."

The brothers Creevey were true to their word and let them wander around the premises a bit, after pointing out the essential areas. Ginny and Harry headed down towards the garden, as Remus and Dora made their way slowly to the gazebo and to where the tents would most likely be put up for the guests.

There was a small stone gate and fence overlaid with red and pink roses as they entered the garden, and Harry felt like he was entering another world, almost. It was like something out of Narnia or Lord of the Rings.

Ginny looked at him, her eyes bright. "Harry, this place is _gorgeous_. They have to do it here."

Harry nodded his head. "It's almost otherworldly, isn't it? There's something…." he paused and took in a deep breath smelling fresh grass and honeysuckle. He pulled Ginny into his arms, holding her close. "There's something magical about it. Does that make me sound like a prat?"

"No, because I agree. Come on, there's a bench down by the water, let's sit there and take it in."

They made their way through the various plants, bushes, and wildflowers, taking in the large oak trees, their leaves already turning colors. Harry hoped that the garden would be full of autumnal beauty by the end of October – with golds and reds and oranges blooming throughout. When they reached the small bench, they sat down and just watched the river in silence. Their hands joined, and Ginny smiled as she teased him with her fingers, moving in and out. Harry put his arm around her and pulled her in tight against him. He breathed in her hair's flowery scent and felt complete contentment move through him and realized something rather important with startling clarity.

There was no one else he ever wanted to be with.

There was no one else he ever wanted to call his.

And there was no one else he wanted to be kept by. Ginny was it – the beginning, the middle, and the end. He kissed the top of her head, and gazed down at her.

"If they don't get married here, why don't we?" Harry murmured.

Ginny sat up and met his look with a blazing one of her own. "I was just thinking that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess that's that then," Harry said, unable to keep the smile from breaking out across his face, his heart starting to the do the conga in his chest. Ginny gave him a fierce look and wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling his mouth to hers. When they eventually broke apart, Harry felt as though his blood was racing through his veins. Ginny's eyes were dark and wide as she looked at him, her lips a dark red color from all of their kisses. He took a deep breath and counted the freckles that ran across her nose.

"Did we just?"

"I think we did, yeah," Ginny said, humor sparking her eyes. "And for the record, the answer is yes, Harry."

"Brilliant," Harry said, feeling a bit done in. He suddenly remembered what Sirius had said and chuckled.

"What is it?" Ginny said, laughing with him. "You have a strange expression on your face."

"Oh, nothing. Just Sirius will never let me live this down if I don't do this properly."

She raised her eyebrow, not understanding him. Harry shook his head and figured if he was going to do this, he would do it right. He slipped off the bench and removed the box he always carried with him now (honestly, he had been fooling himself, hadn't he?), and went to one knee. Ginny's face went to disbelief for a moment before her eyes opened even wider.

"Are you, you really have, is that…oh my God, Harry?"

He only fumbled slightly with the box, his hands deciding to finally start shaking. But it wasn't from fear; no, he had never been more sure of anything in his life. He looked at her and swallowed.

"This was my Mum's, my dad gave it to her. A promise ring or whatever, and Sirius gave it to me, telling me to hang onto it. And I've taken to carrying it around with me, for some insane reason and honestly, Gin, I have never been more certain of anything more in my life. You have my heart, my entire life, really, and now, if you want, you can have my ring."

He opened the box and held it out to her, and Ginny stared at him, a myriad of emotions flitting across her face, seemingly, in the blink of an eye. She reached for the ring and then stopped, pausing before her fingers reached it, as though afraid he would snap the lid down and say "just kidding!" She bit her lip and looked at him, her eyes shining and filled with love.

She took the ring then and sighed as she slipped it on. Harry realized he hadn't even considered the fact that the ring might not fit, but luckily it did, like magic. She held her hand up, and the sun caught the sparkle of the sapphire. The next thing that happened was that Ginny threw herself off the bench and into his arms, a small cry escaping her lips. Harry fell back, taking her with him, and he smiled as she looked down at him, her hair falling over them in waves. He felt his breath catch as the sunlight highlighted the different shades of red.

"Ahem," a voice distracted them, and they both turned to see Dora watching them. They quickly scrambled off of the ground, with Ginny helping up him.

Dora gave Harry a knowing smile. "Well, I was going to ask if you guys liked the place, but I can see you let yourselves get carried away on the ground of all places. I take it that you like it, too."

"Uh, yeah, it's gorgeous," Ginny said, brushing herself off. Harry noticed she kept the hand with the ring on it hidden behind her.

"I agree, and more importantly, so does Remus. Harry?" Dora asked, turning to him.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's uh, fantastic."

"They're serving us a few drinks up in the barn, don't get too carried away down here," Dora said, laughing, and she turned away, heading back up to the central part of the property.

Ginny turned to him before he could ask. "I don't want them to think we're spoiling their thing. This day is about them. Besides, I want to keep this between us, just for a little while." She moved into his arms, resting her hands on his chest.

"It's okay, I get it," Harry said, kissing her softly. "Reckon we need to find our own place to get married now though, don't we?"

Ginny chuckled. "Probably." Her eyes glanced down at the ring, and she looked back up at him. "I am so honored to wear your Mum's ring, Harry. It means more to me than you will ever know."

"They would like you very much," Harry said as they joined hands and started walking back.

"How do you know that with such certainty?" Ginny asked.

"You make their son deliriously, uproariously, and completely happy."

Ginny's cheeks turned pink, but she smiled at him. "If you feel this way now, just think of later when we're alone and can get properly carried away."

Her look was heated and full of desire, and Harry felt his stomach swoop in response. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to make it back to her place, where they could be alone. And, hopefully, entirely naked for a very long time.

o-o-o-o-o

It seemed as though it took them forever to finally get back to Ginny's flat. And then, it took them even longer because as they were approaching the stairs, her downstairs neighbor, Mrs Crockford, popped her head out and chatted with them about what, Harry had no idea. He was sure he and Ginny had both replied and nodded their heads and smiled when called for, but he couldn't remember a bloody word that was said. All he could think about was getting Ginny into her bedroom. And out of her clothes. He felt seventeen again. Well, seventeen again for the feeling of excitement, but armed with the knowledge of what he wanted them to be doing to each other.

Ginny had barely locked the door behind her before he was pushing her against it, capturing her lips with his. He ground against her, unable to help himself. She moaned and pushed back, her arms going around his neck. Harry shifted, and she leapt upwards, wrapping her legs around his waist. He ached for her, as though he hadn't been close to her enough. He held her there, stuck between the door and his body, and wanted to take her, right there, right now, not even bothering to get undressed.

Ginny apparently felt the same as her hand cupped him through his jeans, and then she was lowering the zip carefully as he did the same for her. He pushed her knickers out of the way and probed her with his fingers, finding her already wet. They kissed as though they were in a race – fast and almost hard, their mouths battling together.

"God, I'm glad you're ready because I can't wait," he mumbled against her neck. She moaned in response, pulling him closer to her with her legs.

Harry pulled back and watched her as he pushed forward, entering her without preamble, sliding into her sweet, perfect wetness. Her body felt as though it were made for his. Ginny gazed at him with half-lidded eyes, biting her bottom lip. He started moving his hips, their bodies making noises against the door as they made contact. Harry felt like he was drowning in the warmth of all that was Ginny – her eyes, her body, her soul. She gripped the back of his neck, grunting when he pushed in particularly hard.

"Oh, yes," she cried out, her eyes fluttering closed. "Faster, Harry, now, yes. Make me come against this door."

Never one to let anyone down, Harry started picking up the pace, holding onto her tightly with one arm and moving his other one in between them. He began rubbing her clit, which caused a loud, approving moan to escape from her lips. He kissed her, and she hungrily kissed him back, her fingers clutching at the back of his neck, tugging at his hair.

He knew he was close and swore as her body contracted around his, sending ripples of pleasure through his body. Ginny opened her eyes and watched him, her stare intense and completely electrifying. She cried out, and Harry cursed, surprised by her sudden orgasm. Her body melted into his, and he was pushing, pushing, pushing into her with all that he had. He poured himself into her, and they slowly stopped, both of them sliding down the door in a tangled mess of limbs. Harry groaned as his arms protested, and Ginny gave him a pleased half-smile, looking incredibly sexy to his eyes. Her hair was a messy red blur behind her, half stuck to the door, her skin brilliantly flushed. She was breathtaking to his eyes.

"I knew your upper body strength could handle it," she whispered, and Harry laughed.

"Almost didn't. Ow, it doesn't really hurt until after." He shook his arms, and they untangled themselves. They both grinned at one another, and Ginny stood up first, holding out her hand.

"Come on, let's make round two a bit more romantic."

They undressed quickly and then lay on the bed, watching each other. Ginny smiled at him and held her hand up, showing off her ring.

"It looks beautiful on you," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"And you look beautiful on me," Ginny said, giggling.

"Oh?" Harry said as he used his body to roll them over so that she was on top. "I beg to differ, Red. It's you who look beautiful on _me_."

Ginny grinned and straddled him, her knees on either side of his middle. She sat back, and his eyes drank in her body – the swell of breasts, in particular, seemed absolutely perfect to Harry, and he told her so. She cupped herself and started massaging her nipples playfully.

"These old things?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah, those old things. They're bloody brilliant, and you know it."

He watched her touch herself as his body regrouped, just enjoying the show. Ginny winked at him and reached across the bed to pull her rabbit out of the drawer. She turned it on, and he watched as she situated it between her legs. He could sense the vibrations against his body as she fitted it into place. He loved watching her love herself almost as much as he enjoyed actually doing it himself.

"I love you, so much," Harry said now, holding her by the hips.

Ginny smiled. "And I love you. And if you don't want to have a wedding and if you just want to get married, right now, in this bed, you and me, then I'm all for it."

Harry chuckled. "I think Sirius might disown me if I deprive him of dancing at my wedding. And playing the Clash really loudly or something."

Ginny's eyes sparkled as she started thrusting her body over her toy, and Harry forgot to be amused, as he felt his body begin to respond. She noticed and winked at him. She continued on for a few minutes and Harry found it hard to think about anything other than the amazing woman on top of him. She reached in between her legs and removed her toy.

"Don't quit on my account," Harry practically moaned, hearing the rough and low, hungry sound in his voice.

"I was just keeping things flowing until you were ready again, love." She smiled and then bent down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and shifted against her, so she could feel his response. Ginny pulled back and winked at him and started moving her way down his body. When she reached his growing excitement, she closed her mouth around the tip, flicking her eyes at him. She slowly moved her mouth all the way around the head and then gradually lowered it. Harry sucked in a deep breath, his hand clutching at the bedspread underneath them.

Ginny moved her mouth exquisitely around him – down and then up, then back around, creating a brilliant pattern of sensations. She added her hand and started to stroke down as her mouth moved, and Harry was melting again, this time in her mouth. He moaned and let his head fall back, the pleasure already gathering.

He grunted as she let a finger trail down between his arse cheeks, teasing him. She gently cupped his bollocks, and Harry didn't even want to stop her; he just wanted to let go inside her mouth. He brought his head up again to ask if that was okay, but she was already moving his legs up to get closer to his body. Ginny nodded and then was touching him – everywhere – and Harry moaned, giving into the slow roll of pleasure she was creating inside him.

Harry liked blow jobs – he was a full-blooded male, of course, he _liked_ blow jobs – and Cho had been…adequate at them, but Ginny…with Ginny, it was an entirely different experience. She loved his body as though it were her most favorite thing in the world, and he felt so incredible and just so… _accepted_ when she did it. She touched him in places that he was pretty sure he'd never thought about being touched in before, except in his wildest fantasies, and he absolutely loved it. She could bring him quick if she wanted to, but he liked it when she went slow like she was now, drawing out the experience and savoring it. Savoring _him_.

It was a heady, powerful feeling to feel that much love from another person.

She used her tongue, mouth, skin, breasts, and fingers…. _everything_ was about pleasing him. He knew she didn't do it because that's what he liked; he knew she did it because _she_ wanted it, and it filled his heart with so much… _feeling_. And as he felt his release start to gather, he called out her name as he thrust upwards, feeling her mouth surround him once more. She pumped her fingers in and out, stroking that sensitive spot inside him, making him shake. And when he was done, spent and almost delirious with pleasure, she crawled her way up his body and smiled at him as she slid beside him on the bed. He gazed at her and reached out to touch her face, feeling more than a little bit in awe of her.

She grinned widely and kissed his forehead, moving into his embrace. "Sleep for a bit, Harry. Then you can repay the favor."

Harry grinned against her neck as he turned, pulling her body to his. "Ginny Weasley, you are fucking brilliant, do you know that?"

"I'm starting to get that feeling, yes," she said, smirking at him. She kissed his nose, and then they both settled back on the bed. Harry let his eyes fall shut, more than ready for a bit of kip. But the last thing he saw before he did was Ginny holding up her hand in front of her face, grinning as she stared at her ring.

o-o-o-o-o

Author's note: The wedding venue in Devon does actually exist and I think it's gorgeous! Here's a link so you can see for yourselves. (Take out the spaces) h t t p s : haynedevon. co. uk. //


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

* * *

When Tom Riddle was a young boy, his mother, unable to care for him any longer, dropped him off at Wool's Orphanage in London. All she left him with was one ring, which later cracked (he ended up tossing it), a small black book with the silver emblem of a snake on the outside of it and a dingy, brown, cheap velvet box. He kept the diary, although his mother had never written in it. Once, when he was a boy and full of fanciful thoughts, he thought the diary could somehow talk to him if he wrote in it. But no matter how much he wrote, it never did. Tom soon grew tired of "expressing" himself in it as the orphanage therapist often instructed him, telling the young boy that words were the "gateway to knowing himself."

As if he hadn't known himself already.

Tom didn't know where the diary had ended up after his stint in prison, but he knew where the velvet box was. He had entrusted it to Lucius and told the other man to take the utmost care and protect it at all costs.

It now sat on the metal table in front of him, and Tom studied it, pondering its contents a bit more.

When he had first seen the item as a child, it had confused him at first. But then…then he had felt the power. Just the smallest jolt of something otherworldly, and he had known. He had known that one day the item and he would have a great destiny with each other.

He reached for the box and opened the rusty lid. He had never once considered buying another container for it. He had tried to research what kind of material the stone was and had minimal information. It was basically what it looked like – a stone, almost glass-like in appearance and dark black in color. It was clear and smooth, with only the slight trace of markings on one side that no one could quite make out, and it appeared as though it had been cut to be completely perfect. As though done by the most delicate glass or stone cutter in the world.

Whenever he held it in his hands, he felt complete. Whole. As though everything was right in his world.

It was such a disarming feeling for Tom that he rarely touched the stone, but today, perhaps… he picked it up and held it towards the light, and closed his hand slowly around it. He shut his eyes. The whispering he always heard when he touched the stone grew louder and then quieted, once again, as he let the stone fall back down into the box.

The stone meant power. He knew it. He just needed to find a way to release it and take it as his own.

Their newest disciple, Severus Snape, was a master of chemistry and had said he may know of a way to help harness the stone's power. If they perhaps chiseled a small slice of the glass for an elixir…

But all of that would come later. Now he had other things to do. He smiled as he thought of his Ginny. He wondered if she had cried to her lover over him. Wondered if she shivered at the mere thought of him coming back into her life.

He knew he needed to go slow, and he really shouldn't have called her – but Tom could not resist. The old, itchy, needful feeling she always brought out of him was dying to be filled. Other girls had never come close to creating the type of emotions within him that Ginny had. At first, he had thought it was because she had rejected him so soon into their acquaintance. He later realized it was because she was the key to everything he desired.

Power, sovereignty, dominance, and oh, yes, a minor thing called magic.

Little Ginny Weasley was the key to his plan to bring magic back to their mundane, humdrum world.

And maybe later, when his plan had come to fruition, she would thank him. Perhaps even Harry Potter would thank him.

 _If they survived_.

Tom smiled to himself and put the velvet box into his wall safe once more, locking the stone and his desires away. For now.

o-o-o-o-o

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want to do with these?"

She looked at the pile of old cookbooks that Harry was holding and frowned. She'd never really used them all that much. But they had been given to her by her Mum, so…

"Put them with the other books we're boxing up for storage, I think. Or, no, wait, see if Hermione wants any of them?"

They were using one of their precious Saturdays to pack up her flat. Dora and Remus had finally moved out of Harry's house, and true to his word, he had asked her to move in with him the next day. Of course, there was still renovating to do, but Ginny thought saving money on her flat would come in handy for that when the time came. Sirius would still be living at the house, but she had a feeling they wouldn't be seeing him all that much.

It was four weeks until Harry's uncle's wedding and two weeks since Harry had slipped his ring on her finger. The weekend prior, they had told everyone related to them, and she knew that soon it would be time to tell her co-workers. But Ginny wasn't going to worry about that now.

Ron came back in from taking a few boxes down to the van they'd rented and put his hands on his hips as Harry hefted the books into his arms.

"Did I just hear you say 'see if Hermione wants any'? Please, Harry, for the love of all that is pure and good in this world do not ask my wife if she wants more books. We don't have the room. I'll soon be out on my arse because she's decided to use my study for her things. It's the only place I have left for me."

"Oh, honestly, Ron," Hermione said, catching the tail end of what he'd been saying. "You over exaggerate, as usual. Here, let me see those, Harry. Are you sure you don't mind, Ginny? Moving into a new kitchen with Harry might make you wish you could experiment more."

Harry met her eyes as they both recalled their various ways of experimenting in the flat's kitchen, and then they both looked away, trying not to laugh. Ron noticed and looked between his sister and his friend.

"I don't even want to know. Honestly, Hermione, really?" Ron noticed his wife pulling a few more books out of the box, and Harry rolled his eyes at them as he came over to her. He slipped his hand into hers and kissed her cheek.

"Think we should do some more, or are we done for the day?" he asked as he pulled away.

Ginny shrugged. They were almost done, actually. Just a few more bits and bobs and then they'd do a nice final clean, and she'd be officially moved out of her flat. She'd done it before, of course, back during the whole Riddle business, but she'd really grown to love the Phoenix's Roost. But beginning a new life with Harry…that definitely trumped it all.

"They probably want us to buy them dinner," Ginny said, indicating her brother and sister-in-law. "And it's only fitting since they gave up one of the weekends for us."

"Too right you are, sis," Ron said, appearing to give up on stopping his wife from nicking more books. "I'm definitely feeling peckish. Should we meet you two at the Dragon?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Harry said. "I haven't seen Hagrid in a while. We can tell him about us." Harry looked at Ginny as he held up her hand, the sapphire ring winking in the sunlight. "He'll probably throw an impromptu party, and all the drinks will be free. But I'll insist on paying anyway, and we'll get into a proper row and then eventually Norbert will break it up and take half the money. Hagrid will blow his nose with a big hanky, hugging us both."

"Well, now I don't want to go," Ginny chuckled. "You've ruined the whole thing."

"You two are nutters, certifiably so," Ron said, shaking his head. "But twenty quid says Hagrid makes you pay from the get-go, Harry."

"Ron, don't gamble," Hermione said, standing up, her arms laden with books. Ginny didn't think there was much left in the box now and smiled at the other woman.

"Thanks, Hermione, this will be easier to box up now."

The other woman smiled and then hit her brother on the arm, making him take some cookbooks from her. "Well, let's say we meet in about an hour? I really want to shower first. I feel sweaty and dusty, no offense, Ginny."

Ron rolled his eyes and looked at his sister. "Well, do you have any crisps or something I can nosh beforehand then?"

"I don't know, mate, the cupboards are pretty bare," Harry said, looking around. They had moved most of the food staples to his house already. "Oh, wait, here's a box of biscuits. Uh, they're a bit old."

Ginny shook her head at her brother as he took then from Harry and hugged Hermione as they headed towards the door. "Thanks again for helping today. We couldn't have done it without you. You're the best organizer I know."

"Of course. Are you and Harry staying here tonight, or is tonight the first night in the house?"

"The house. Sirius moved into Harry's room and gave us his since it's the biggest. I feel bad for kicking him out, but he insisted."

Hermione nodded sympathetically but then grinned at her, strangely waggling her eyebrows. Ginny realized the other woman was trying to be sly.

"So, where are you going to do it first, to, you know, to christen the new place?"

Ginny snorted and glanced back at Harry and Ron. "Hermione, I'm shocked. Well, not really. Didn't you tell me you and Ron did it in every room?"

Hermione giggled, which sounded uncharacteristic for her, but Ginny decided she liked it. It wasn't often her sister-in-law allowed herself to be silly. "We did. I still have dreams about what we got up to in the loft." Hermione pretended to swoon.

"Please, I beg of you, nothing more. That's my brother we're discussing."

Hermione gave her a wide grin. "Yes, and he does very well in confined spaces."

Ginny mock-shuddered and Ron came up behind them as they headed downstairs. "Do I even want to know what you two were just talking about?"

"No," both of the women said together, and then laughed. Ginny looked behind her for Harry and saw that he was bringing another box down with him. Always so thoughtful, that was her Harry. He loaded it into the van and pulled the door closed, locking it. Ron and Hermione got in their car and waved at them. Harry stood next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Were you two really talking about having sex in the attic?" Harry asked as they walked back upstairs.

"Maybe," Ginny said, laughing. She stretched and then sneezed. Maybe Hermione had a point about cleaning themselves off. She looked at Harry. "Your house doesn't have a loft, does it?"

"Actually, it does. Terribly small area, though. Not much room for…wait, is this about that 'we have to do it in every room' thing you mentioned to me the other day? Something about making the house ours, officially?"

Ginny smiled as she went into the bedroom, pulling her shirt off as she walked. She paused and saw Harry's eyes focus on her breasts and laughed as she slipped her jeans down her legs. "How about we make use of the shower that's here one last time?"

"Hmm," Harry said, moving towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Sounds like a plan."

They kissed, and Ginny sighed into him, his hands already cupping her breasts. They could be a little late for dinner. Surely her brother wouldn't mind too much?

o-o-o-o-o

A few days later, Ginny was driving home from a lunch date she'd had with Hannah. She almost forgot where she lived and had turned to head to her flat, but managed to get back into the traffic flow and use the roundabout to get back on track to Harry's. _No, stop calling it that. It's your home, too. Harry said_. _And so did Sirius._

Shaking her head at herself, she drove through the more suburban area of Godric's Hollow and started humming along to the radio. She should be at work, but Ian (really Harry, she knew) had convinced her to take a personal day and rest from all the packing and unpacking she felt like she'd been doing nonstop. Having lunch today with Hannah had proved to be the balm her soul had needed, and Ginny felt in much better spirits.

She started to park alongside the street next to the house when she saw Sirius waving her in. She pulled Pig into the drive and rolled down her window to see what he wanted.

"I cleaned out the other side of the garage, Ginny, pull right on through," Sirius said, bending down to grin at her. She nodded and maneuvered Pig next to Harry and Sirius's Jeep. It was a tight fight, but her car was small enough to just make it work. But only just.

Sirius waited for her as she shimmied herself in between the two vehicles. She smiled at him.

"Thanks for that, I really appreciate it, Sirius."

"It's going to be your house soon enough. You may as well stop parking in the street like a salesperson. Although I think I should convince Harry to get a smaller thing to drive so you can actually breathe in there when you get out of your car."

"Breathing is for wimps," Ginny said cheekily, and Sirius barked a hearty laugh.

"How was your lunch?" he asked as they headed inside.

"It was nice. Hannah is a great person. I feel bad I never made an effort to get to know her before when all that stuff was going on."

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself, I imagine Hannah would say the same. You had a lot going on."

Ginny nodded, not really wanting to talk about it, so she changed the subject as they entered the house. "Where's Harry?"

"Went to the shops to get something for dinner. Zee and I are going to London for a few days so you two can nest like a proper couple and not worry about the big, bad Godfather walking in on you."

Ginny snorted at him as they automatically went to the kitchen. It was funny how she now just ended up there, like Harry often did, to either get a coffee, which Sirius always had going or to put the kettle on. She grinned at Sirius when she saw that he had already done that for her.

She pulled one of the cups down from the shelf and started making her tea as Sirius leaned against the counter next to her.

"You haven't walked in on us once!"

"Yes, and what a travesty that has been for me," Sirius said, winking at her. Ginny shook her head.

"You're a nutter, I can see where Harry gets it."

"His father was half a nutter, too, so Harry was actually doomed before the start."

"Surely, his Mum evened it out a bit?" Ginny said as they moved to the table. Sirius grinned as he grabbed a box of chocolate biscuits and waved them at her. Ginny nodded her head in agreement.

"Lily was the worst of us because she looked normal, but trust me, that girl could get into some mischief. Remind me to tell you and Harry about the time she hid all of James's pants from him because she was in a strop about him missing one of their dates. He had to go to class regimental, if you know what I mean, for almost a week! But she took pity on him, in the end. Ah, Lily was a fine lass, always full of good cheer. I wish you could have met her. Met them both, really. I think they would have really taken to you."

Sirius sounded bereft suddenly, and Ginny took a sip of her tea while he fiddled with the biscuits. After they each enjoyed one, Sirius gave her a lopsided smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to go nostalgic on you. It's just…with Remus and Dora finally getting married and now you and Harry, I just…I just really miss them. Sometimes I almost envy Harry, his lack of knowing them, as awful as that sounds. I know he _misses_ them, but he never really knew them. For me and Remus, sometimes the pain is…too close. Harry's pain is from lack of knowing, but ours comes from knowing what we lost."

Ginny reached out and put her hand over Sirius's, gripping his fingers tightly in hers. Sirius finally pulled away and avoided her gaze for a moment. Ginny snagged one of the biscuits out of the box and handed it to him.

"Here, chocolate is good for the merriment of the soul. Or something like that. It'll make you feel better if we eat this whole container."

Sirius gave a weak smile. "All right, but don't tell Harry I'm the reason his dinner is a bust."

"Mum's the word," Ginny said, winking.

After a moment, Sirius finally met her eyes and gave her a full smile, grabbing another biscuit. "Bet I can eat more than you."

Ginny counted the biscuits left and nodded her head at him. "Be prepared to lose, Black. I'm a champion biscuit eater from way back. And I've trained on bigger biscuits than these paltry things."

"Harry's gonna kills us," Sirius said, laughing as he grabbed two more out of the package. Ginny shrugged.

"Harry doesn't have to know. This will just be our own private little contest."

"Oh, my godson has chosen wisely, indeed. What does the winner get, by the way?"

"The loser has to pay for all of the biscuits for the next…six months?" Ginny asked as she started to eat two more. "We should keep track of it too, maybe a chart? We'll have to be on the honor system, of course."

"Of course," Sirius said, nodding his head. "Contest runs from now until…the wedding?"

Ginny nodded as she bit down on another biscuit. She vaguely wondered if she should start running once in the morning and once in the evening now, to help offset the extra calories she was sure to be eating. Sirius continued, oblivious to her inner struggle to remain healthy.

"All right, but let's make it biscuits for a year, and you're on, Weasley. And not the cheap, dodgy kind either. The good stuff."

"And the winner gets to wear a tee-shirt, made by the loser, of course, that says Biscuit Champion," Ginny added after they shook on it.

"I take a size large, by the way," Sirius said nonchalantly.

"I take a size small."

"Not after eating all those biscuits, you won't!" Sirius guffawed, and Ginny grinned, shaking her head. She was going to like living in this house a great deal – she could already tell.

o-o-o-o-o

"Are you feeling all right?" Harry asked her after dinner as they settled on the front room sofa, ready to watch a movie.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Ginny asked as she flipped through the collection of DVDs they kept under the coffee table.

"You didn't eat much at dinner, that's all."

Ginny hid her grin and tried to play it off. "I had a whole plate full of pasta, Harry, and you know it. It was delicious."

"Hmm, I'm just used to you having seconds, I reckon."

"Well, I do have to stay fit and trim for the wedding, you know," Ginny said lightly, holding up the film she wanted to watch. Harry nodded his head, and she got up to put it into the machine.

Ginny settled into his arms as Harry clicked off the lamp that sat next to the sofa and the opening screen of the movie appeared. Harry kissed the top of her head.

"I've got chocolate biscuits hidden in the cupboard, should I get them?"

Ginny bit her lip and shook her head. "Uh, actually, I think Sirius may have taken them with him to Zee's. Something about how they were her favorite brand or something." She glanced up at him.

"Why would Sirius take my biscuits instead of just stopping to get his own?"Harry frowned in confusion.

Ginny looked away and gave a shrug. "Maybe he didn't want to stop? And anyway, don't worry about them, I'm full, and the film's about to begin. Oh, I didn't know Catherine Tate was in this one. I like her, she's brilliant."

"She's ginger, so that goes without saying," Harry said, laughing, seeming to forget about the biscuits for the time being. "I thought you wanted to watch this because you fancied that bloke."

"Well," Ginny said, stretching her legs out to get more comfortable. She grinned because she couldn't help herself. "I definitely wouldn't kick James McAvoy out of bed for not having any biscuits, if you catch my drift."

Harry snorted and pulled her closer. "I'll get some more tomorrow."

"Get two or three," Ginny said causally. "And let's hide them from Sirius this time."

If Harry thought it was odd that she wanted them to keep all the biscuits to themselves, he didn't mention it, and they soon became engrossed in the movie. _Ah, Sirius_ , Ginny thought, _score one point for me_.

o-o-o-o-o

As they got ready for bed, Ginny emptied another one of her boxes marked "bedroom" and put the last of her winter clothes in the wardrobe's bottom drawer. Harry was stretched out on the bed, one of his many mystery books in his hand. His glasses were half-slid down his nose, making him look extremely adorable. But she pursed her lips at him as she carried to the box to door to get rid of it in the morning. He hadn't said one word about her evening attire. She lay down next to him and waited for him to finally notice what she was wearing. When he continued to read, Ginny sighed dramatically and stretched her hands above her head.

Harry eventually lowered his book and looked at her, his eyes going a bit wide as he finally took her in. A low whistle escaped his lips. "What's the occasion for the new nightie?"

Ginny smiled and moved closer to him. "No reason. Just you know, we're here. In your house. _Alone_." She let her voice dip down a bit lower on that last bit and smiled as Harry's cheeks turned a pinkish hue.

"We've been in the house together for a week and been alone a couple of times now, Gin."

Ginny shook her head. "Honestly, I move into your house, and already the romance has left our relationship, Harry. I thought we could at least coast until after the wedding."

Harry snorted and finally put down his book. Ginny grinned and climbed into his arms as he held them out to her.

"Are you trying to say I'm neglecting you by reading before bed?"

"Never," she murmured as she shifted on top of him. His hand ran down the length of the nightgown she'd put on.

"I like this; it's silky. And sexy," he said after a moment, and she could tell that he did indeed like it by the sudden poke of something against her stomach. Ginny gave him a sly grin.

"I thought you might."

"Are you attempting to seduce me then? Is that it?" Harry said, lifting her hair up to work his fingers through it.

Ginny shifted again and smirked at him. "Attempting? No. Succeeding? Oh, yes, definitely. Your body gives you away every time, Harry."

Harry chuckled and then suddenly wrapped in his arms around her. He turned them over quickly so that he was looking down at her. Ginny took in a deep breath as her head stopped spinning. She grinned at him.

"Hello, there."

Harry moved his mouth down to her neck, kissing her in precisely the right spot, and Ginny couldn't help but make a half-moaning noise of pleasure as she turned her head to the side to give him more room.

"And your body gives _you_ away, Red," Harry said, pulling back again to look at her. "You're quite flushed."

"Am I? Hmm." Ginny worked her hands around his neck, pulling him down to her. She paused as they gazed at each other. Harry's green eyes made her heart catch as she lifted his glasses off. "You won't be needing those where you're going, Mr Potter."

Harry smirked and kissed her. He started moving his way down her body, his hands already pushing up the nightie. Ginny sighed happily as his dark head lingered on her breasts, and she put her hands in his hair, loving the soft, luxurious feel of it.

His breath felt hot against her skin, and she shivered, and when he reached her sex, she tried not to blush any further, knowing he'd just smirk at her again for being so eager. She shifted her legs apart, sighing as his fingers found her body's rather obvious enjoyment of what he'd been doing and relaxed back on the bed, already feeling quite done in.

As Harry began his loving of her, Ginny could only cling to him in response, her legs wrapped around his head. She moaned his name in heated whispers. But when she came, she cried out, her voice remarkably loud, and she grinned to herself as it echoed through the house.

Harry propped himself up above her sometime later and smiled down at her. "Liked that, did you?"

"I think you could tell."

"I think the whole neighborhood could tell."

"Let's finish this someplace else?"

She threw her arms around his shoulders as he chuckled and sat back. "What do you reckon?"

"Do you think the kitchen table can hold us?"

"I'm game if you are," Harry said, laughing. He pulled her off the bed, and they kissed. Ginny tasted herself on his lips and felt a thrill shoot through her.

"From behind?" She asked as she winked at him.

"I am never not going to love living with you," Harry said, sounding happy. "You have the best ideas."

"I'm just getting warmed up," Ginny said as she turned to him. "Let me tell you about the plans I have for Sirius's workbench in the garage."

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Ginny pulled him down the stairs and turned to him as she entered the kitchen. She walked backward until her backside hit the table and smiled at him. She turned and then put her hands on the table, testing it. Flicking her hair over her shoulder as she bent forward, she gave Harry a heated look.

"Come over here and prove it, then."

And he did—quite a few times. And Ginny loved him right back.

o-o-o-o-o

"Lucius mentioned you knew the Potters, Severus?"

They were walking around the grounds at the Malfoy manse, and while Tom could recognize the beauty of it for what it is was, it still left him cold. It was pretentious in some parts, with the white wandering peacocks Lucius preferred just the start of it. He did not, nor would he ever understand the idle rich. But he would happily use their money, of course.

"I knew the mother. She and I were…we were childhood friends. I had no use for the father."

"You are not the first person to tell me that," Tom murmured, thinking of Pettigrew's dislike of the senior Potter as well. "Although I do believe your reasons are deeper than mere schoolboy jealousies."

Snape flicked at an imaginary piece of lint on his dark coat and looked Tom in the eye. "It could be that others disliked him for being an annoying prat who always got his way. And while that is part of it, I believe he is why my friendship with Lily Evans was never rekindled. I have never quite…forgiven him for that."

"So you hold no feelings towards the boy? He does, as they say, look a great deal like his father, and I have seen the photos to prove it. But the mother's eyes…surely you feel better knowing that there is still a part of her alive within him?" Tom chose his words carefully. It would not do to allow Snape into their inner circle if he carried sentimental feelings for the child of his boyhood love, and he had an idea that they both knew that. Snape struck him as a completely cynical and logical man, and he would be good to have on their side, but only if he could keep any maudlin feelings about the past at bay.

"I do not, my lord," Severus said, his voice soft but firm. "I am completely at your disposal, through and through. I do this because I believe in your cause, not to settle an old score."

Tom let a bitter smile fill his face as he looked at the other man. "But Severus, those who are, are usually the most dedicated at their cause. I may be more inclined to believe you if you told me that hurting the son of James Potter would be satisfactory to you."

The other man blinked at him, once and then again, before looking away. There was a slight frown on his countenance as he appeared to be thinking. He looked at Tom with a surprised gaze.

"You surprise me, my lord, I must admit. While I admit a certain feeling may exist in me about hurting Potter's son, I am, after all, human, there is also my belief that you are right. There is something off about this world that we find ourselves in. If what you believe is true, that magic is our birthright, and if it has been taken from us, then I will support you until the end, or the truth is uncovered. No matter who or what is in the way."

Tom nodded, and they continued walking. There was a lonely cry from one of the wandering birds, but it did not sound sad to Tom. No, it sounded as though another piece had fallen into place. The man at his side would be a good ally – he was cold, logical, and forthright. And Tom would make sure to use him to his utmost efficacy.

o-o-o-o-o

Author’s note - a few britishisms, if you will - ‘going regimental’ is comparable to ‘going commando’, a loft is also an attic type space and not a large apartment, ie very small and cramped used for storage. ;) 


	10. Chapter 10

_Many thanks to Narukoibito for her beta and of course, to the lovely Breanie for allowing me to use her character of Zee from A Second Chance. Sirius is very happy she allowed it, too. ;)_

Chapter Ten:

* * *

"Hmm, now that is what I call a lovely way to wake up."

Sirius smiled from behind Zee's back and lifted her curly hair out of the way. "It was rather inspired if I do say so myself."

She turned and smiled at him, her brown eyes crinkling in amusement. "Do you think we could actually get out of this bed today?"

Sirius sighed and tried to look put upon, but he felt his face breaking into a wide smile. "Reckon so. You're tired of me, is that what you're saying?"

"Never," Zee said, kissing him. "But there's no food to be had since we've been in London the last week. You're used to having Harry around to do all the shopping."

Sirius knew the woman had a point. He had often taken for granted how much Harry had helped in that department. Since he was staying with Zee more and more, he supposed he should do his part to help her out.

"All right, let's say we shower, and I'll take you out for breakfast first. Can't go to the shops on an empty stomach! That's what Harry always says, anyway."

Zee laughed, and she rolled over him to get out of bed, a wicked look on her face as she settled in between his legs. Sirius let his hands wander over her, appreciating the view. She leaned down, her long, golden-brown hair falling over them both. He absentmindedly reached out to pull on one of the ringlets hanging closest to him. "I hear there's a water supply issue in most of Devon. We should really shower together to conserve. You know, for the environment."

Sirius grinned as he released her hair from his finger, and it sprang back into shape. "I am always willing to do my part, Zahira."

"I know, and I really appreciate that about you, Black."

He barked out a laugh as she pulled him off the bed and started leading him towards the loo. "Oh? Conservation is now a hot topic with all the birds? Why have I never heard of this before?"

Zee started turning on the taps and looked at him over her shoulder as she gathered her hair to pile it on top of her head. "Maybe it just works on _this_ bird. And maybe she just wants you to herself, understand?"

Sirius smirked. "Yes, Ma'am."

After spending far too long in the shower, and making sure Lady G, Zee's new black kitten was fed (he still couldn't believe he'd fallen for a woman who owned a bloody cat), Sirius had to admit his stomach was rumbling more than a bit as they headed out on his bike, looking for a greasy spoon to eat in. Finding a little place called the Hokey-Pokey, they tucked in to a glorious fry up that was so delicious that neither of them spoke for several minutes. Zee was the first to sit back and sigh happily, patting her stomach.

"We'll have to remember this place," she said, looking around. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, these mushrooms and tomatoes are admittedly even better than mine. I think there's coriander involved, somehow."

Zee held up her cup towards the waitress in the universal sign for more coffee and stole one of his pieces of toast. He batted her hand away and moved the plate closer to him, sticking out his tongue. She grinned and continued eating, and they both giggled. The waitress topped off their cups while snapping her gum at them, which caused the two of them to laugh even harder.

"Hmm, well, perhaps the service could be a bit nicer," Zee said, raising an eyebrow at the retreating back of their waitress.

"Give her a break, she's got a rough gig probably, working here," Sirius said, eating the last of his sausages. He sighed and sat back, grabbing his coffee. "I think I'm in bliss right now."

"You do look quite satisfied."

Sirius grinned. "Always."

He looked around the little café as Zee's phone went off, and she gave him an apologetic smile. She got out of the booth they were in and stepped outside to have her conversation outside. Sirius liked that about her. She was never assuming or obnoxious. His eyes lingered on her as the sun hit her hair, the colors mesmerizing him for a moment – he'd never realized how many different shades of brown a woman's hair could have before. Some of her hair was dark and enticing. Some of it was golden and magnificent. Even underneath, there were streaks of rich mahogany, which plain just excited him. Feeling like a git for staring at her through the café window like a love-sick puppy, Sirius forced his attention back towards his fellow patrons.

Sirius frowned as a figure along the backside wall seemed to move in and out of focus for a minute. He could have almost sworn…he stood up to see over a group of people who had just come in the door. _No, it couldn't be_. Not… _him_. He hadn't seen him since James and Lily had died, but Sirius could see he hadn't changed much. If it was indeed who he thought it was. Just then, a shout went up from the kitchen as a loud noise of falling dishes sounded, scaring most everyone in the café. Sirius frowned and then looked for the man again, but he was nowhere to be found. He looked outside the window as Zee came back in, trying to find him just to convince himself he'd been wrong.

"Sirius?" Zee asked, frowning at him. She waved her hand in front of his face, and he blinked at her, suddenly coming back to himself. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think I may have," Sirius admitted. "Come on, let's pay up and get out of here."

He didn't feel like explaining himself, because he still had that creepy-someone-is-watching-me type of feeling at the base of his neck. He looked around the car park as Zee strapped her helmet on, half-expecting to see the man again, watching them. But it was empty, and Sirius wondered if indeed he had just been seeing things.

The motorbike's sound filled his ears as he turned and started off towards the local shops, and he was glad of it. He knew Zee knew something was up, and he would explain himself later, but right now, Sirius just wanted to get the face he'd seen in the café out of his head.

 _It couldn't have been Peter. It just couldn't have been_. But Sirius had a feeling that he had not imagined it. And he didn't know what it meant if Peter Pettigrew was back in England. Especially now, of all times. With Remus getting married, and Harry…Harry finally starting to live his life again. Sirius had a very bad feeling indeed.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry made breakfast for them as Ginny showered. He'd let her sleep in a bit as they'd been up talking about renovation ideas rather late, and he felt guilty. He hoped the breakfast he was making and the lunch he'd packed for her would make up for it. He was just pouring the hot water from the kettle into her teapot as she sleepily trudged into the kitchen. She smiled thankfully at him and sat down at the table, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

He offered her a plate of toast, and she took one, reaching for the marmalade already on the table. As he finished the eggs, the timer for the tea went off. After dishing the eggs onto two separate plates, he poured her a cup. Harry handed Ginny her portion and turned around to get another cup of coffee for himself.

Ginny yawned again, and Harry patted her arm as he sat down. "Sorry, I kept you up too late."

"It's okay, I feel like we got a lot accomplished. I can't wait to get started. When should we start meeting with contractors? Oh, god, Harry, these eggs are amazing." Ginny closed her eyes, savoring her bite, and Harry grinned.

"Wanna know the secret?"

Ginny opened her eyes and nodded. "Just some super-special herb you use, I'm sure."

"Well, no, not just. But it's dill, not that special. And it goes exceptionally well with the feta cheese."

"I'll say. Between you and Sirius, I really will go up a few stone living here. I really have to get back into running, but I wanted to get a feel for the neighborhood first."

"Use the treadmill in my exercise room."

Ginny blinked at him as she took a drink of her tea. "That's brilliant, actually. I was worried about getting lost while running. Does it have uphill capabilities?"

"Of course, although it probably isn't as advanced as it should be," Harry said, eating his eggs and thinking about it. "I could actually do with getting a newer one. This one is a bit old, to tell the truth. But if it makes it easier for you to run safely at home, it's worth it in my book."

"While I do actually prefer running outside more, I suppose you have a point. And afterward, you can always give me my post-run massage."

Ginny smiled cheekily at him, and Harry snorted. "All right then, so I will look at some new machines while you're at work. Actually, I'll drive in with you and talk to Ian. I'm sure he has some ideas about which local companies to try first."

"Please don't get a crazy expensive one, Harry. As long as it works and gives me a workout, I'm fine. Really."

Harry frowned. "Would you let me spend my money how I want?"

Ginny sighed. "Of course, you can spend your money how you want. But I want to contribute too, it's only fair. And we have so many plans for the upstairs, it's going to cost quite a bit, you know."

"But Gin, I have loads. Trust me—more than I know what to do with. I don't want you to worry about paying half or whatever kooky idea you have in your head. Not only do I have the football money, but my dad was well off, too. I came into it when I turned 25, so believe me, it's all still there. And I don't have to pay for this house monthly or anything, so we're pretty set."

Ginny put her teacup down and rubbed at the edge of the table, which Harry recognized as her nervous gesture. She glanced at him.

"We were never that well off when I was a kid, and I am used to making do with second-hand things, Harry. And I think it's great you're so generous, but…it's a matter of pride. I am sure you have noticed that Ron doesn't like not paying his way either. It's a matter of principle with us, Weasleys, I'm afraid. And also…well, I don't want people to think I'm with you because of your money."

Harry rested his head on his hand, realizing that she had just revealed the real crux of the matter. "Well, I _know_ you're not, and really, why should it matter what anyone else thinks?"

Ginny got up and put her dishes in the sink, turning around to look at him, folding her arms. "Because I got my job because of you, and now I'm living with you in this lovely house, and you helped me get my car-"

"Hey, you paid for that yourself, I was just along as support."

"But he gave me a discount because of you."

"Not really my fault or yours." Harry stood up and went to her, slipping his arms around her waist. "And we weren't together when I told Ian to hire you. And Ian _already_ wanted to hire you based on your CV before I'd even known it was you. You got that job fair and square. Is someone at the Center giving you a hard time about us dating? Is that it?"

Ginny looked away and shrugged. "No, not…really. Not to my face. I just…overheard some girls talking in the loo about how I may have traded certain favors for it, that's all."

Harry felt a spark of anger and outrage. "What? Who were they?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, not anyone who works there, Harry. Just…some of the _girls_. I think we were the topic of discussion between the older ones. It's fine, I know they're wrong, but it just made me aware of how it looks. To outsiders."

"Well, that's just bloody stupid," Harry said, touching her chin and pulling her face back to his. "If I'd known I could get special favors out of this deal, I would have hired you far earlier."

Ginny's eyes grew wide in disbelief, and then she shook her head at him as he allowed his smile to fill his face. She finally laughed and relaxed her arms, pulling him closer. "You're a git, sometimes, you know that?"

"I made you laugh, so…I'm okay with it. But honestly, Ginny, next time you hear that, just tell them off."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Is that really what you want me to do? Tell off the girls we're trying to help?"

"Uh, well, no. Good point. But I don't know, make them do extra laps or clean out the showers. Something truly evil."

Ginny laughed. "Come on, let's get going. Let me take you to dinner tonight, okay? Since you'll have to pick me up now?"

"All right. Deal. Go grab your stuff, and I'll get your lunch together."

Ginny paused and kissed him, her lips tender on his. It soon turned into something else, and they broke apart, each breathing a bit more heavily. Ginny chuckled. "I love you."

"I know," Harry said, and he playfully swatted her arse as she turned to head back upstairs. She stuck her tongue out at him as she dashed away.

He frowned, thinking of Ginny being talked about. Still, he knew there wasn't really anything he could actually do about it. She would have to find her own way to deal with it, as he also knew. Harry wondered how she would react once the press got wind of their engagement. He wasn't sure any of the papers would actually care, but Harry had a feeling that meant that at least one of them would. And probably cause trouble.

Not for the first time, he was glad they were finally living together. At least they would be a united front for whatever sort of trouble awaited them.

o-o-o-o-o

After spending the day looking at exercise machines, Harry treated himself to a late afternoon coffee as he waited for Ginny's text to pick her up. He'd also stopped off at the library and found a few new books to read (even though Ginny had just teased him about reading too many whodunnits) and was toying with which one to start first when he realized he felt as though someone was watching him.

Harry looked around the little café and didn't see anyone glaring at him for existing, so he shrugged and turned back to his books. But the feeling persisted. The next time he looked up, he tried to pretend he was fiddling with his mobile instead and realized there was a man a few tables away behind him that was watching him.

It was an older man – possibly around the same age as Sirius and Remus, except while they had aged gracefully and still looked reasonably youthful, this man did not. He was almost entirely bald, except for a few wisps of thinning hair on top and on the side. The remaining hair looked utterly unkempt. He had a rough beard as though he didn't make a shaving habit, or perhaps, he maintained it with scissors, Harry thought idly. The beard was patchy and misshapen. His eyes were rather small, and he reminded Harry for all the world of a rat, complete with a pointy nose. He half-expected the man to be sporting a tail behind him. When the man noticed Harry studying him, his mouth opened in a feral sort grin, and he stood up.

Harry felt alarmed and took a deep breath. When the man paused for a moment next to his table, Harry glanced up at him, but the man suddenly was moving again, past him and out the door, without looking back. Harry blinked after him and sat back in his chair. _What the hell?_

Just then, the text alert from his mobile went off, and Harry shook his head as he tapped it, reading Ginny's message.

_Hey, sexy, I'm almost done for the day, ready the chariot._

Despite the odd experience he'd just had, Harry could help but smile at his phone and typed out his reply.

_Ready the chariot? Really? And I suppose a plain car is too good for your arse._

_But of course, love. (lol) Seriously, though, I'm starved. How far away are you?_

_I'm close. I'll be there before you waste away to nothing, I promise._

Ginny texted him a smile and a heart emoji, and Harry chuckled, leaving some money on the table for his waitress. He grabbed his books and paused as he left the café, but he didn't see the strange man anywhere around and shrugged. Maybe he _had_ been reading too many mysteries lately. He felt like he was seeing plots and oddness everywhere these days.

o-o-o-o-o

"I feel like Chinese," Ginny said as they wandered through the new section of shops and eateries in Godric's Hollow. "How about you?"

"Sounds good."

They'd parked and had been wandering around, holding hands, trying to decide where to eat. Sirius had texted, saying he was still with Zee but that he would home later to catch up. Harry thought he'd get something to go for his godfather wherever they ate as Sirius was known for late-night eating parties when he wanted to talk.

"Here's one," Ginny said, nodding at the red sign across from them. " _K.T_. _Leung's Palace of Good Fortune_. That sounds optimistic."

 _It did look nice_ , Harry thought. It was all red and shiny, like a new toy. There were tables off to the side of the building in a sort of patio set up, and it was such a nice night out that he immediately wanted to eat outside. They didn't look _too_ busy. Ginny agreed about eating outside. They were soon seated, ordering their drinks, a Mai Tai for Ginny and something called a Gunner for Harry.

"I think I will have the Happy Family," Ginny said, smiling. "Can't go wrong with a name like that. Should we order some Dim Sum? That prawn and crabmeat sound delicious."

"Sure," Harry said, eyeing the menu. "What do you reckon? I'll get the Sizzling Spicy beef, and then when my mouth is on fire, I'll just eat your Happy Family?"

Ginny snorted. "No, plan ahead better than that, please. I told you, I'm starving."

"Didn't you eat your lunch?" Harry asked. "I packed it pretty full."

Ginny's cheeks turned pink. "Uh, well, one of the girls…there's this girl named Natalie and she, well, she doesn't seem to have much at home or any money, and she was crying because she was hungry, so I sort of gave her what you'd made for me. I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry reached out and took her hand. "You don't have to apologize for being kind, Ginny. Did you let Ian know? He can set up something for her with one of the local outreach programs. Make sure her family is getting food."

"I'll do that tomorrow," Ginny said, nodding.

Harry squeezed her hand. "Well, let's order extra food and just eat until we burst. Anything we can't eat, we'll take home for Sirius. Sound like a plan?"

Ginny smirked at him. "It's my treat, remember? But yes, it sounds like a plan."

"Of course, it's your treat. That's why I said let's order extra. Gotta get my money's worth."

Ginny laughed, and they ordered soon after that. Ginny was telling him how one of her training sessions had gone today with the girls at the Center when they were interrupted by a soft, yet familiar voice.

"Harry? Is that you?"

Harry looked and saw Cho staring at him from the walkway outside the restaurant's dining area. He stood up without realizing it and then glanced at Ginny, giving her a shrug. She tilted her head, and he waved at Cho, inviting her to join them. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him and took a sip of her drink.

Cho walked through the restaurant and was soon at their table, smiling widely at Harry. She glanced at Ginny with a puzzled look. Ginny nodded at her and then pointed at an empty chair at a nearby table.

"Please, join us. Right, Harry?"

Harry nodded dumbly, not quite sure what was happening and quickly sat back down. Had he really just indicated to his ex-girlfriend that she should join him with his current girlfriend - no scratch that, fiancé - for their dinner date? He was an idiot.

"Hi, I'm Ginny," Ginny was now saying as Harry continued to stare at the two of them. He suddenly blinked at them and nodded.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry! Cho Chang, Ginny Weasley. Ginny, this is, uh, Cho. Cho, this is, uh, Ginny."

"Hi," Cho said, holding out her hand as she and Ginny shook hands briefly. They both smiled politely at each other and then both turned to look at Harry expectantly.

"Um, I thought you were in London now?" Harry blurted out, looking at Cho. She looked good, he thought. A little tired, maybe, but good. She'd cut her hair as well. It was now quite short and fell just to her ears in a sort of bob-style. He knew she'd always wanted to wear it shorter but had never wanted to displease her parents by appearing less traditional.

"I was, I mean, I still am. My dad's in hospital, so I came back for a visit."

"Oh, no, is he okay?" Harry asked, feeling sad. Mr Chang had always been very nice to Harry.

"Yeah, he will be. But it was touch and go for a while. How's Sirius? And Remus? You look fantastic, by the way. I see you're wearing the glasses more. Maybe I was too harsh on them back then. They make you look quite handsome."

"Uh, thanks, and yeah, the glasses are back for good. Remus is getting married soon."

"No? Really? That's great, Harry," Cho said, sounding really pleased.

"And Sirius is…well, he's Sirius. He's seeing someone too, believe it or not. Even though he claims it isn't…"

Cho giggled and finished Harry's sentence. "Let me guess. It isn't _serious_?"

Harry nodded and shrugged.

Cho laughed again as she pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, and it was a tinkling sound in the night air. Harry swallowed roughly because he knew that laugh. He looked at Ginny, who was simply smirking at him. She'd apparently understood that laugh too. He cleared his throat. _Right_.

"Er, Cho, you may as well know, that is, Ginny and I are, well, we're engaged."

Cho, who had been turning in her chair to face him, suddenly stopped and looked between them, two bright spots of color appearing on her cheeks. "Oh. _Oh_. Congratulations, then."

"Thank you, Cho," Ginny said evenly. "Would you like to see the ring? It used to belong to Harry's mum."

Ginny held out her hand, and Cho looked down, nodding politely. "Wow, that's really…that's lovely. Just lovely. How happy you must be."

"Gloriously happy, actually," Ginny said as the waiter appeared with their dim sum. "Please join us for dinner, won't you? We've ordered a ton of food."

"Er, no, I couldn't. I must be getting back. I just saw Harry and thought…" Cho looked between them again and gave them a little smile. "Well, I just thought I would say hi. I've missed you a bit, Harry. We should talk, well, if you don't mind him talking to an ex, Ginny? I mean, I was Harry's first girlfriend, you know. We go back a long way."

Ginny shook her head. "No, I don't mind. I trust Harry implicitly. Besides, he's told me all about you. And it's nice to stay in touch with old friends, right, Harry?" She reached out her hand, and Harry took it automatically. He glanced at Cho.

"I'll give you a call later in the week, see how your dad's doing, all right?"

Cho nodded and then stood up awkwardly. "Well, have a good night. And congratulations again." She gave them a little wave and then left. Harry released a long breath.

"Sorry," he said after a minute. Ginny smiled at him.

"For what? I think she got the message."

"Oh? And what was that?"

"That you're mine."

"I don't think she was interested, Gin."

Ginny merely gave him a look. "Trust me, she was. The whole touching her hair and giggling bit and leaving me out of the conversation? She wanted you back, Potter."

Harry frowned. "Cho's not…well, okay, she was a bit like that before when we were actually dating, very territorial at parties and whatnot. But I don't think randomly seeing me in a bistro having dinner means she suddenly wanted me back."

Ginny put down her fork and retook his hand. "You look _fit_ , Harry. And you know why? You look happy. And she could tell. There is nothing a girl wants to see less than an ex-boyfriend practically blooming with happiness with another woman. _Trust_ me."

"Are all women this surreptitious ?" Harry asked after a moment.

"Pretty much," Ginny said, smiling.

"Oh, brother," Harry muttered. He felt terrible for Cho, but he didn't feel _that_ terrible for Cho and said as much to Ginny.

"I know, and she could tell. Don't worry though, I doubt she'll be crying into her cups later or anything."

"Oh, thanks. I'm that easy to forget, huh?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, and Harry blushed. "Okay, not the point. Um, you look really fetching tonight, have I mentioned? Let's talk about the new exercise machine I bought us."

Ginny laughed, and much like Cho's laugh, it carried in the night, and _this_ laugh made Harry feel warm and gooey inside. He suddenly wanted to get her home, all thoughts of his ex leaving his mind for good.

o-o-o-o-o

"Oh, goodness, you're amazingly brilliant at that," Ginny breathed out as they snuggled on the settee. Harry snorted and started kissing her neck.

"You're no slouch either, you know," he murmured, pulling her tightly against him again. Harry decided making love on the sitting room settee was by far his favorite place to do it thus far. It felt slightly naughty to be naked in the middle of the room for some reason.

"Hmm, when do you think Sirius will be back?"

Harry lifted his head and smirked at her. "Why? Want another round before he gets home?"

"I was thinking of trying the second bathroom's tub before we decide to gut it, and we'll be stuck with only showers for the next unforeseeable future."

Harry smiled at her. "He said he would text beforehand. You have a water fetish, don't you?"

"Are you complaining?"

"Um, no, you're right. Bring it on, I say. Maybe we should replace the tub with one of those nice jacuzzis. Or a hot tub. Or, what's the difference, really? The pipes or taps, do you think?"

"Hmm, Harry," Ginny said, running her hands through his hair. "You know exactly how to turn a girl's head. Tell me more about pipes and plumbing and oooh, backsplashes. Really get me going here."

Harry laughed and pulled her up from the settee as they moved. He looked around and found his boxers underneath the coffee table. "Let's grab our clothes first, okay? I don't need Sirius taking the mickey out of me for one night of my life."

The had made it all the way upstairs when Harry heard his mobile ping from downstairs, indicating he'd received a text. Ginny chuckled and took her clothes from him, smacking his bum. "Oh, well. We'll save it for next time."

"Quite," Harry said, slipping his boxers on and running back downstairs to grab his mobile. He went back up, reading Sirius's text.

"He'll be here in ten minutes. Just enough to make ourselves presentable, wink wink, nudge nudge."

Ginny laughed from the loo and he watched as she pulled her jeans back on without bothering with her knickers. "He didn't really say that."

Harry held out his mobile so she could read it. She shook her head. "Well, he did say he didn't want to walk in on us. He's just being cautious."

"I don't think he wants to walk in on _me_. You? I'm pretty sure he'd be okay with."

"Harry, he's your godfather."

"Yeah, well, he's also a man who likes women. A lot." Harry pulled his shirt over his head and stood next to her as she combed her hair. Ginny glanced at him.

"Are you going to put your trousers back on or just sit around like that?"

Harry shrugged. "Thought it might be more relaxed this way. You didn't bother with knickers."

Ginny shook her head and pushed his trousers towards him. "Yes, but you're the only one who knows that. Besides, I thought you didn't want him taking the mickey this time?"

Harry sighed loudly, and she poked him teasingly in the ribs with her fingers. They finished getting dressed and were just heading back downstairs as Sirius came in through the front door. He smiled at them.

"Hope I didn't get you guys out of bed or anything."

"No," Ginny said nonchalantly as they all filed into the kitchen. Sirius made a face at Harry.

"You're letting me down, godson."

"We got extra Chinese," Harry said, ignoring him. "Fancy a quick warm-up?"

"Hmm, sounds good, I'll put the coffee on. Decaf, I assume?"

"None for me, I'll just have some water," Ginny said, stepping out of the way. Sirius looked at Harry.

"You're choice then, Harry."

"Um, let's try half-decaf, half-regular roast."

"Excellent," Sirius said.

Ginny sat down at the table as the two men busied themselves with the food and coffee. Once they were all settled, Sirius started eating and looked at them. "Can I ask you two something? It's sort of, excuse the pun, but it's serious."

Harry glanced at Ginny, who shrugged, and they both nodded at his godfather.

"I had a weird experience today. A face from the past…one I never thought I would see again, sort of startled me and got me thinking. Have you two experienced anything…off lately?"

Harry felt a nervous feeling in his stomach. "I have, actually."

Ginny and Sirius both looked at him. "I was waiting for Gin to get off work and felt like someone was staring at me. I looked around, and this strange…man was staring at me. I thought he was going to start something in the café, actually, but he paused by my table and then just left, without a glance back. It was unsettling."

Sirius nodded, a grim expression on his face. "What did he look like?"

Harry described as much as he could about the man, not liking the resigned look on Sirius's face.

After Harry had finished, Sirius looked at Ginny. "And how about you?"

"No, nothing like that that I know of. Why? Do you know who this person is?"

Sirius put his fork down and sighed, suddenly pushing his plate away. He gave Harry a look that made Harry's nervous stomach start to flutter once more.

"There was an old friend of your Dad's and mine, named Peter Pettigrew. Do you remember either Remus or me mentioning his name before?"

Harry thought about it, but the name didn't ring any bells. "No, not at all. If he was a friend of you lot, why have I never heard about him? Did he know my Mum too?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. He…well, the four of us were quite close during our uni days, but we had a falling out and…oh god, I should have called Moony in for this talk."

Sirius ran his hand down his face, looking pale to Harry. He reached out and touched his godfather's hand.

"Sirius? You're alarming me. What is it? Who is this person?"

"Harry, on the night your parents died, there was…there was some question about what exactly happened to their car to cause it to crash. Remus and I never told you before because nothing was ever proven. But earlier in the day, the day of the accident, your father mentioned to Remus that he'd ran into Peter outside the house. Actually, he found him outside the garage."

"What?" Harry shouted, apparently louder than he meant to because he saw Ginny wince, even as she took ahold of his hand.

Sirius held up his hands. "Calm down, Harry. Like I said, nothing was ever proven one way or another. Still, Remus and I…well, we always thought it was odd that Peter was seen on that particular day, especially since none of us had spoken to him in a few years. But…the thing that happened between us, your dad was sort of responsible for Peter getting sent down from school, and he always held your dad to task for his own failures."

"You think this person, this…Peter Pettigrew, killed my parents?" Harry asked after a moment, not even recognizing the sound of his own voice. He felt numb. Absolutely numb.

"I don't know, kid. But it never sat right with me. Him being around and then them…having their accident. But he left the country soon after the inquest into their death, and Remus and I had you to think about, and we decided to put it behind us, so we could be there for you. Because you needed us here, not going off and finding him based on a feeling."

Harry felt his heartbreaking inside of him, like an old pain he'd forgotten about. He felt sick suddenly and pushed back from the table. Sirius and Ginny both said something to him, but he couldn't hear anything except the sound of his heart beating loud and fast, as though it were coming from deep inside of him. He ran out the back door, suddenly needing to breathe in the fresh air. He heard the door slam roughly behind him and didn't care. He went to the edge of the property – as far as he could go – where Sirius had grown a few small trees to act as a buffer between the next property and theirs. Harry stopped moving, resting against one of them, taking deep breaths and trying not to lose his dinner.

He couldn't believe what he had just been told and felt equal parts alarm and worry, and even a sense of betrayal. Why had Sirius and Remus never told him this? Didn't he deserve to know the true circumstances of his parent's death? Why had they let him grow up believing a lie? To think someone could hate his father enough to be responsible for his death…Harry shivered, his stomach lurching again. It wasn't true. It just wasn't true. No one could hate his father that much. His father had been brilliant. Kind, funny, full of life – everyone said so. Things like murder happened in movies and books – Harry loved to figure them out – but he didn't want to live his life _in_ one. No, this was not his life. His life had never been tainted by such darkness. It was just a hazy thought his godfather and uncle had once had, and that was it.

"Harry?"

Ginny's hand was warm and soft as it slipped into his, and he caught a whiff of her flowery scent, and he bowed his head, closing his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and just held him. He finally allowed himself to relax. The night closed in around them, and Harry concentrated on Ginny's touch, wanting to forget everything but her.

o-o-o-o-o


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

* * *

"How's he doing up there?"

Sirius's voice startled Ginny out of her thoughts, and she almost knocked over her teacup. He smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry, thought you heard me come in. That for Harry?" He indicated the tray of biscuits and finger-sandwiches she'd put together, and she nodded, giving Harry's godfather a sheepish grin.

"I thought he might like some coffee and something to nibble. He…hasn't been eating much."

Sirius nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "I've noticed. I'm trying to give him space. It's usually the only thing that helps Harry get through one of his sulks."

Ginny nodded as though she understood, even if she really didn't. She'd never been around for one of Harry's 'sulks,' and it had been a bit rattling for her to witness it now – her usually cheerful, loving boyfriend had been replaced by a very grumpy, moody sod. Still, she understood it. She didn't think she'd react very well to the news that her parents might have been murdered by a former friend of theirs any better than Harry had to be truthful.

"He hasn't kicked you out, so my hope springs eternal," Sirius was saying, and Ginny frowned at him. Sirius held up his hand.

"Not out of the house or anything, but usually he prefers to be completely alone. The fact that you're still allowed in a good sign, Ginny. Trust me. Whatever you're doing to help him? Keep at it."

Ginny nodded absentmindedly and turned her attention back to her tray. She made sure she had enough milk for Harry's coffee and sighed. A moment later, she felt Sirius place a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe I should ask how you're doing, too?"

She turned her head and saw the concern in Sirius's face and bit her lip. "I just don't know if…he doesn't want to talk about anything, Sirius. I feel…I'm starting to feel so useless."

Sirius pulled her in for a hug, and even though they had never done that before, Ginny found herself relaxing into his embrace. It felt like she was hugging a long-lost uncle or something. He smelled like pine-soap and engines and vanilla biscuits, of all things, and she smiled into his shoulder.

"Harry loves you more than anyone or anything I have ever seen, Ginny. Trust me. He'll come 'round. He always does. Feel free to talk to either Remus or me if you need to vent, okay?"

She nodded, and Sirius stepped out of the way so she could pick up the tray. She made her way upstairs and paused outside their bedroom door, taking a deep breath before entering.

"I've got nice, fresh coffee, Harry, and some food. Far too much for me to eat, so please help me. I'll never fit into my dress for the wedding at this rate." Ginny tried to ignore the immobile lump on the bed that was Harry and looked around the room, wondering where she should put the tray. She finally decided on the bed and started making small noises, clinking spoons against the cup edges, and moving the plates around just to get his attention. She finally glanced at him and sighed. He remained unmoved.

She grabbed her own cup of tea and poked at what she hoped was his back and was rewarded by a low groan. Pursing her lips, she fluffed her pillows out behind her and grabbed one of the sandwiches and started eating. Eventually, Harry turned over and squinted at her, his hair standing straight up. Of course, Ginny thought, he hadn't actually bathed in a few days. She was impressed his hair was doing anything at all. She ignored his look and reached for his coffee. She held it out to him without speaking, and he eventually took it from her, his hand wrapping around it. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he breathed in the scent of it first and then took a tentative sip.

Ginny held back a smile as he frowned into the cup, and she reached for the extra milk she'd poured, handing it to him. He took it and mumbled something that sounded like thanks, and she felt hopeful as that had at least been part-way civilized.

"Well, how'd I do? Strong enough?" she finally asked, nodding at his coffee.

Harry sighed and turned his head, looking for his glasses, no doubt. He slipped them on and looked at her. Even though he'd been sleeping a lot, he still looked tired to Ginny. "Sirius didn't make it?"

"Nope, you can only blame me for its general foulness."

Harry grunted and took another sip. "It's not foul. It's…good."

Ginny didn't say anything and thought she'd try pushing her luck by offering him a sandwich. He took it without comment, and she felt mildly elated at that. Perhaps Sirius had been right.

"Aren't you going to work?" Harry finally asked, taking another sip of coffee. He ran his hand through his hair and frowned, as though noticing for the first time how unkempt it was.

Ginny curled her legs up underneath her. "Saturday."

Harry blinked at her. "No, it's not. It's…" he paused, frowning to himself. "Is it really? It's been a week?"

Ginny nodded and looked into her tea, not sure she could keep her face neutral. She heard Harry put his cup down, and then his hand was touching her face, pulling it towards his. His green eyes were full of emotion.

"Have I really been acting like an arse for a week?"

Ginny bit her lip and nodded. "Well, for the first few days, you were only half an arse. You didn't reach full arse-hood until sometime around Thursday night when you ignored my attempts to seduce you."

Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "I ignored you trying to seduce me?"

Ginny nodded. "I wore that cute little red nightie, and you didn't even blink an eye. It was a terrible blow to my ego."

Harry gave her a look and shook his head. He sat up and took her teacup away from her, placing it next to his coffee on the side table. He leaned closer to her and touched her face tenderly, resting his head against hers.

"I'm sorry, Gin. I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're not. You just have a horrible way of dealing with things that bother you."

Harry snorted gently and closed his eyes. "It takes me a while to process things. I never wanted you to see me being such a prat."

"Harry," Ginny sighed softly and touched his hand. "You're not a prat. Well, not much of one. You had things to deal with, like you said. My only issue was that I wished you would let me in to help you. I was beginning to think I could have left for days, and you wouldn't have even noticed."

Harry swore and shook his head. "No, I would have noticed, trust me. I'm…I'm sorry, Ginny. Truly."

He kissed her gently, and it soon turned into something more, and Ginny felt her heart come alive again. She had missed him, even though he'd been right here, next to her, he hadn't been her _Harry_. She pushed him back on the bed so that she could lay on top of him and started kissing his neck as she felt his hand creep up under her shirt. She was pleased to notice that there was a lot about Harry that was finally looking up. She kissed him and then studied him. His green eyes had gone dark and wide, and he was staring at her intently.

Ginny smirked at him because she knew that look. "I think a shower is in order."

"Really? Can't we just…after?"

"Well," Ginny paused, and let her hand move down in between them, taking hold of him. Harry sucked in a harsh breath and then breathed out, causing her hair to move around her face. "No offense, love, but you are a bit ripe."

Harry blinked at her in confusion, and then he blushed. "I'm sorry. Oh, God, I must reek."

"It's okay, it's not major, and besides," Ginny said, shifting and moving off of him. "I do like to clean you up, you know that."

Harry shook his head at her and allowed her to lead him towards their shower. She batted his hand away when he tried to get undressed. She wanted to do it. Ginny made him lift his arms, and she pulled his shirt up and over his head. She untied the sweats he'd been living in and pushed them down his hips. She kicked them over towards the clothes hamper as he stepped out of them. She went towards the shower, turned on the taps, got the temperature right, and then looked at him over her shoulder.

"Come on, you first."

Harry gave her a small smile and then stepped into the shower, reaching for the soap. Ginny made sure he was okay and then quickly undressed, joining him a moment later. She took the soap from him and nodded for him to turn around.

Ginny took her time washing him, waiting until the tension had slowly relaxed in his shoulders. She noticed Harry's eyes were closed, and she smiled as she reached for the shampoo bottle. She started to slowly massage his temples as she worked the liquid through his dark hair. Harry's eyes opened when she finished, and he smiled at her.

"That felt nice."

"There's more where that came from," Ginny said lightly, nudging him under the spray so he could rinse.

They finished up quickly, and Ginny pushed him into the bedroom ahead of her. He sat down on the bed and smiled at her, holding out his hand. She joined him and rested her chin on his shoulder, letting her hands play in his damp hair.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, actually, I am. I'm sorry I've been such a git."

"I know," Ginny said softly. "So stop apologizing. You earned the right to have a bit of a sulk. That was some pretty heavy-duty stuff Sirius threw at you."

Harry sighed and slipped his glasses on again, looking sideways at her. He shifted back and then lay down on the bed, leaving room for her to lay down in front of him. She fitted into his arms, and he snuggled closer to her, sighing against her back as his hands wrapped around her waist. His voice was hesitant as he quietly began to speak.

"I always…that is, from what Remus and Sirius have always told me, believed that my parents, especially my Dad, were well-liked and cherished by everyone who knew them. I simply can't wrap my head around the idea that someone out there hated them that much. And then I started thinking that they must hate me, as well. And it's weird, you know, thinking there is someone out there who hates the fact that you exist. That they're out there laying the blame on you for things you didn't even do."

Ginny pulled Harry's arms tighter around her and murmured softly for him to continue. She could understand what Harry was feeling somewhat – she had often had similar thoughts while Riddle had been terrorizing her. She had often found it unnerving to think of him just… _thinking_ about her, in any way.

"And then I started wondering if maybe Sirius and Remus had just been telling me the good stuff, because who wants to tell their godson their father was possibly a jerk? And…while you were at work, I would go through all my old boxes of stuff about them that I had. Mostly just letters and photographs, but there were a few local news articles too, which I'd forgotten about. My Dad gave a lot to charity, not just money, but his time, too. He and my Mum. They _were_ good people, Gin."

Ginny turned her head to look at him; his green eyes were fierce behind the frames of his glasses. "Of course they were, Harry. You don't have to convince me of that. They made you, and you're bloody brilliant. The fact of their goodness is self-evident, right here in my arms."

Harry blinked at her and then gave her a soft smile. "I'm not trying to convince you, but I do think I needed to remind myself. I needed to see it in black and white, perhaps. If they were murdered, they did not deserve to die, I know that."

Ginny turned in his arms and touched his face. "So, what are we going to do about this Pettigrew person?"

Harry released a long breath. "If I see him again, I'm not sure. I might just confront him and let him know that Potter men do not scare easily, and if he is looking for some sort of payback or acknowledgment from me, he has a long wait. Or, I may just ignore him completely. I'm not sure I'll know until it happens."

"Well, that's honest," Ginny said, nodding. "And, I understand."

"I knew you would," Harry said, kissing her forehead. "Honestly, you have been the one…the one thing that kept me from completely spiraling out of control. I'm sorry if you felt ignored this week. And yes, I know, you understand. But still, it wasn't right, so let me just apologize and have you accept it, okay, Red?"

Ginny smiled at his nickname for her – he hadn't used it in so long, she realized she had missed it. She moved closer to him. "Okay, Harry. Besides, I have some ideas on how you can make it up to me."

"I figured you might."

Ginny kissed him, and like before, it soon turned into something more, and they were shifting on the bed, with Ginny removing Harry's towel. His hands traveled up and down her back as she settled on top of him. She took him in hand and started what she had begun earlier, and his eyes were bright and full of love for her. They touched each other as Harry moved his hand from her hip to in between her legs, and she widened her position to give him more access. They were soon both breathing rather heavily, and Ginny bent down to kiss him. He murmured her name, moving his other hand to her wet hair, tenderly touching the side of her face.

"I love you," Harry whispered, gazing at her. Ginny smiled as she nuzzled his nose with her own.

"And I love you."

Ginny sat back and then shifted forward, sliding onto his body in one swift move. They both stilled, enjoying the feeling for a moment. Harry brought his legs up behind her to support her as she rocked forward with her hips. His hands traveled across her breasts, teasing each nipple into stiff peaks. Ginny moaned and started moving a bit faster, his body felt wonderfully full and hard inside of her.

Harry let her control the pace, and she met his eyes as she rode him. She lifted her hands and held her hair in her hands and he licked his lips, his eyes wandering over her brazenly. She rested a hand on his chest as she rotated her hips in a lazy circle, rewarded by his quick intake of breath. She knew he wanted to move with her, but still, he stayed, allowing her to do whatever she wanted. It thrilled Ginny down to her toes, in a way, to be so in control. She patted his leg with her hand, indicating she wanted him to lower them, and he complied, giving her a wanton look.

She sat back again, moving a bit faster, and held out her hands. Harry linked his fingers with hers, and she lolled her head back, grunting. Ginny loved the way he felt inside of her, so absolute and perfectly fitted to her body. But she wanted more. Ginny was beginning to realize that she always wanted more Harry.

She leaned forward and started thrusting her hips in earnest, utterly controlling the angle and yet feeling him go even deeper. She gazed down at him, marveling at him. He had thrown his head back and was biting his lip as he watched her, looking unbelievably sexy to her. Ginny lowered her mouth down to his as she felt his hands stray down to her hips again, and then one snaked its way in between her legs, rubbing her. She smirked at him as she shifted her hair over her shoulder and felt her body grow slippery with her desire.

"Start moving," she murmured, leaning forward, and Harry answered with a full thrust, and she knew it must have been killing him not to move. She smiled at him, and he gripped her hip securely as he pushed up from the bed. Ginny moaned as her body tightened around his, causing him to swear rather exuberantly and completely unembarrassed.

"Such a mouth you have." Ginny giggled at him as he pushed her further onto him, rising half-way up to meet her. They kissed breathlessly for a few moments, and Ginny nodded when they pulled apart and allowed Harry to turn them over so that she was on the bottom. His glasses slid forward, but he didn't seem to notice as he pushed her legs further apart, and she sighed as he started thrusting deeper into her. Ginny let him take over, letting her hands wander back on the bed, her body shaking as he claimed her. She thrilled at the way he took her – she was his – in every way, and she felt the freedom of that rush through her.

"Touch yourself," Harry commanded, his voice low, and she complied, her eyes never leaving his. She felt her body respond and knew she was very close; her fingers were drenched. He angled his hips and pushed her legs up, and Ginny knew nothing but the sweet feel of him deep inside her. Harry was all she needed or would ever need. She moaned as she came, her body taking him with her a few minutes later, and he grunted as he fell forward, his breath hot on her skin like a flame. She wrapped her arms around him and clutched at him, holding him as firm as she could.

When their breathing returned to normal, Harry finally lifted his head, and she laughed as she straightened his glass for him. "Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hi," he murmured back, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

"I missed you, I think," she murmured, touching his face when they broke apart.

"I think I missed you, too," he said, giving her an embarrassed grin. Ginny reluctantly let go of him and allowed him to move off of her. She turned on her side and put a hand on his chest. Harry's eyes were closed, and he was taking in long breaths. She let her eyes wander over his body; he was so bloody gorgeous to her. She inched her hand down his stomach and let her fingers get lost on the dark hair that began there. He stopped her by putting his own hand over hers.

"Let a bloke catch his breath, Red." Harry smirked at her, popping his head up to look at her.

Ginny felt her skin heat, but couldn't help it. She wanted him again and told him so. "I want you again."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her and turned onto his side, pulling her closer as their legs became entangled. "You're trying to kill me then with sex? I'm not 17 anymore, you know. This ancient age of 27 means I need some downtime."

"I can't help it, my body just…wants you."

"Hmm, I've definitely been neglecting you too much," Harry whispered, kissing her.

"No, it's just you being you, Harry. I've never wanted anyone the way that I want you. It's a bit scary to me, actually. But you can have me any way you want me."

He met her gaze, his face filling with emotion. He touched his finger to her lips, and she sucked it into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it.

"The feeling is mutual, Gin," he said softly, removing his finger from her mouth. "God, the feeling is so mutual."

She smiled and kissed him. When they finally broke apart, she rested her head against his. "There are other things we can do until you're back up into functioning mode."

Harry chuckled against her neck and pulled back to look knowingly at her. "I reckon so."

Ginny sighed as he nudged her onto her back, his dark head moving slowly down her body. She was so glad that Harry was on his way to being back to normal. They would have to talk more about his need to completely cut himself off from everyone when dealing with things, of course, but for now…for now, Ginny just wanted to be with him. And love him. And be loved back in return.

o-o-o-o-o

"Ugh, I hate salads," Ginny mumbled, and Hermione smirked at her as she took a bite of her roasted chicken sandwich. They were out to lunch with Dora and her friend Abigail, having just come from a somewhat disappointing (for her, at any rate) dress fitting. Ginny had been reminded again that she'd put on almost half a stone since deciding on what dress to wear to the wedding and stabbed her butter lettuce with anger, spearing it with her fork.

She glanced at her sister-in-law, frowning as Hermione seemed to be eating with glee. "I don't understand why you're not more worried."

Hermione shrugged. "I get to just be a guest, who cares what I'll look like? You're the one who'll have to stand up with Harry since he's the best man."

Dora shook her head at them. "Ginny, we just had to let your dress out a tiny bit. It does not look like a 'bloody circus tent,' as you so eloquently put it. You've barely gained five pounds, and you had a busted ankle for a while. Besides, I know for a fact that Harry that enjoys your backside on the plump side. That was his hand I saw on it before we left, right?"

Abigail giggled with the others and took a drink of her water. She gave Ginny an understanding look. "I've been starving myself since the age of two, Ginny, so trust me when I say you really don't have anything to worry about. That dress looks absolutely lovely on you."

Ginny sighed. She really wasn't one of those types of girls who worried about her weight, so she wasn't sure why she was letting it bother her. She hadn't gained _that_ much, and as Harry liked to tell her, she'd been almost too lean to begin with. Now she was soft and shapely, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than handling her curves. She smirked at the other women.

"You're right. I just…want to look sensational for Harry, for some reason. It's making me hyper-aware of everything."

"Practice for your own big day," Dora said, nodding. "I get it. But don't look too beautiful, or no one will be looking at me, the actual bride." Dora laughed as Ginny looked worried.

"Dora, no one is going to be able to take their eyes off you! Your wedding dress is bright pink! And absolutely gorgeous!" Ginny insisted. "I wish I could wear pink and look as lovely as you do. I always feel like a git in pink, it clashes so horribly with this." She pointed to her hair.

"Yes, Ron has often said the same thing," Hermione said, her mouth twisting into a half-smile. Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend.

"So when are we doing the hen party?" Abigail said, taking a bite of her own salad. She looked at Ginny and Hermione. "Do you two have any ideas for entertainment? Oh, please say you do. Someone terribly fit and gorgeous, perhaps?"

Hermione laughed. "I only know boring business types or too young-for-us-students. Ginny still knows a few footballers, though."

Abigail's face brightened. "Oh, do tell! Do any of them need extra money for taking their kit off? I've got a lot of one pound notes saved."

"We are not having a stripper at my hen do!" Dora said, laughing. "Remus would kill me."

"Harry could do it," Hermione snickered, which caused Ginny to feel scandalized, and Dora to blurt out 'No!' rather quickly. Hermione raised her eyebrow at the other woman.

"It's just… Harry is like a kid brother to me at this point. And that would be wrong on so many levels."

Ginny nodded. "Besides, Harry is far too shy. And also, I don't like the idea of other women seeing the goods, as it were. He's all mine, ladies. Eat your heart out."

Hermione chuckled. "Well, there's always…Sirius. I'm sure he'd do it. We probably wouldn't even have to pay him. He'd probably pay us."

All four women stopped eating and looked at her. Dora raised her eyebrow and looked deep in thought for a moment and then giggled. "Can you imagine it? Sirius Black stripping for us?"

Ginny snorted. "He is fit, I'll give him that, but wouldn't Remus _really_ object to that?"

Dora's face had turned an interesting shade of pink. "Well, probably. I mean. You know. Er, we may have um talked about um…"

Abigail gasped at her friend and put her hand on the other woman's arm. "You said you never mentioned that kink to Remus!"

Ginny and Hermione shared a glance and looked at the other two women. Dora sighed and shook her head.

"Remus and I share everything, Abby. But I don't think either of us would ever be drunk enough to actually do it."

Ginny smirked at Dora and went back to eating. Abigail just looked disappointed in her friend. Ginny cleared her throat. "Besides, Sirius has Zee now. Not sure he'd be up for it anymore. Although he keeps insisting they're just dating."

"But we're not in love or anything," Dora said, doing her best impression of Harry's godfather. "Right. Pull the other one, Sirius. That man is so stubborn. Thank God I met Remus first and fell for him. If it had been Sirius, I would have just been another in a series of broken hearts, I'm sure."

"Well, then, I reckon the hen do will just be us and some hardy alcohol and a few romantic movies on TV," Abigail said, sounding disappointed.

"That sounds like bliss, actually," Dora said. "I've been working my arse off before we go on our honeymoon. A night in with you lot sounds perfect. Do you know what Harry has planned for their night of debauchery?"

Ginny shook her head. "He hasn't mentioned it. Maybe he's forgotten he actually has to do that. He's had other things on his mind lately, to be honest."

Dora nodded in understanding, even though Hermione and Abigail didn't know what she was talking about. They finished up their lunch, and Hermione and Ginny went one way since Hermione had driven them, while Dora and Abagail went back to the dress shop. Abigail promised to let them know when and where they could have their night of drinks and movies, probably in the next week or so.

"So," Hermione said as she started her car. "What's going on with Harry these days? Ron's been working a lot and hasn't seen him."

Ginny sighed. "He had a bit of bad news last week. He's better now, but he was in a sulk. I doubt he would have seen Ron at all, even if he had been free. He likes to keep to himself when things go wrong."

Hermione nodded and glanced at her. "How did you fare during that then?"

"Okay. It was just so frustrating. I love him so much, Hermione, but he wouldn't let me help him. We need to talk about that, but he's in such a good mood these days and has finally snapped out of it, that I don't want to remind him about it. It involved his parents."

Ginny would not say more than that because she knew it wasn't her confidence to reveal. But she knew Hermione would understand, and the other woman only nodded at her words, not pushing.

"Harry…he feels things sort of deeply. I think he's just always going to be that sort, Gin." Hermione finally said as they pulled up to the house.

"I know. I eventually just let him be, without, you know, buggering off somewhere or nagging him to talk about it. He was very apologetic afterward, admittedly."

Hermione smirked at her. "I bet. I bet the two you of really just worked it out."

Ginny chuckled. "We did spend all day in bed."

"Ah, I miss those days," Hermione said as Ginny reached behind the seat to grab the box her dress was in. Ginny looked at her sister-in-law.

"You and Ron don't get frisky anymore? I'll have Fred and George give him a talking to if you want."

Hermione snorted. "No, we do. We just…have so little time anymore to truly lounge about with each other. He's working really hard right now, and I've got so many different pots on the proverbial hob these days. It's hard to find the time, I reckon. Every relationship has times like this, I suppose. You just don't realize it because you and Harry are still so new and fresh."

"I can't imagine not wanting Harry as much as I do right now," Ginny admitted.

"Oh, I still want your brother," Hermione said, and then she blushed when she saw Ginny's look. "Sorry, I know you don't want to hear that. He still makes me crazy in that certain way of his. But, it's just life gets in the way sometimes, I suppose. Hmm. Maybe I'll hurry home and try to see if I can surprise him when he comes in."

Ginny laughed. "Don't want to know the details, but yes, you should. Enjoy yourself, too."

Ginny got out of the car and waved as Hermione drove away. She made it to the front door and frowned when she saw a package was sitting on the mat. Shrugging, she picked it up and put it on top of her dress box, noticing that it was addressed to Harry. He must have ordered something.

After juggling the boxes and unlocking the door, she set them on the kitchen counter and wondered if anyone was home. "Harry? Sirius?"

There was no answer, and Ginny shrugged to herself, grabbing the box her dress was in and headed upstairs. She took it out of the tissue the salesgirl had wrapped it in and stared critically at it. It _was_ a stunning dress – it was a light purple, almost lavender in color, and off the shoulders. She had wanted something long and slinky, and this dress was it, with a nice slit up the side that she knew Harry would appreciate. She'd have to get a new pair of heels, though. The shopgirl had mentioned something about them being able to die her shoes to match the dress. She hung the garment up on the inside of the wardrobe and let the material slide through her fingers.

She heard a noise on the stair and turned just as Harry entered the room, taking off his jacket. He smiled at her.

"Have a good lunch with the girls?"

"Yes, we smashed the place, got pissed, and now you owe the restaurant a new chandelier."

Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "Just one chandelier? Between you and Dora, I would think at least two."

Ginny chuckled and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I missed you. How did your meeting with Ian, go?"

Harry shrugged and threw his jacket on the bed, pulling her closer. "Boringly. We've decided to hold off opening another center next year. I think five is a good place to pause for now. I don't want the other ones to suffer because we've stretched ourselves too thin."

"That's very wise and astute of you, my footballer-slash-businessman-slash-philanthropist." Ginny breathed in Harry's scent and smiled; he smelled like the fresh outside autumn air and something that was always just uniquely him.

"Hmm, it's mostly because Ian wanted to start branching out to Scotland and Wales, and I don't fancy being away from home, to be honest."

"That would be a bit tricky," Ginny agreed. "You got a package today, it's downstairs in the kitchen, did you see it?"

Harry shook his head, distracted, and playing with her hair. She chuckled and pulled on his hand. "Come on, let's make some coffee, and you can open it."

Ginny started making the coffee as Harry grabbed the box from the counter. He frowned and looked around the kitchen for a moment before pulling one of the knives out of the drawer. She sat down at the table as the coffee started and watched him slowly open the package. He frowned as he looked down into the box.

"What the hell?" Harry murmured, and he pulled out a snow globe. It was a globe of him as a player. Ginny frowned as they both stared at it. She had a vague recollection of an item like it from years ago when Harry had been at the height of his playing career.

"Who sent that to you?" Ginny asked as he set it on the table. He tilted the box and looked inside.

"I don't know, there's no note."

"Well, be thankful it's not a musical one, or they'd probably have you kicking the ball in time to God Save the Queen or something."

Harry smirked and picked the globe up again, frowning. He turned it over and frowned. "There's something taped to the bottom here." He reached out and tugged at whatever it was and before either of them knew what had happened, the snow globe shattered in his hands.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed. Ginny saw the crimson blush of his blood hit the inside of the globe and mix with the water still inside it. It fell to the table with a loud thump. She quickly stood up and reached for one of their towels and wrapped Harry's hand up within it. The towel immediately started turning red.

"Bloody hell, Harry, you've really cut yourself."

"Yeah, thanks, noticed that, Gin. Ow." Harry pulled his hand away and held it close to his chest. "What in the hell made it fall apart like that?"

Ginny didn't know and didn't really care at the moment. She made Harry get up and go to the sink. She turned on the tap and slowly unwrapped the towel. He'd only nicked his finger, thank goodness, and she made him keep it under the water while she looked for a plaster to wrap around it. After finding a few in the side drawer, she indicated he should dry his finger off and apply some pressure.

"Ready?" she asked after a few minutes, and Harry nodded. She leaned forward and wrapped the bandage around the cut, making sure it was secure. She sealed another one around that to better protect it. She glanced up at him.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No, not as much as before. Thanks."

Ginny looked at the mess they'd made and started picking up the pieces of glass that had fallen to the floor, noting the one that had cut him had the most blood on it. Harry started to help her, but she held up her hand.

"No, let me, Harry. I don't need you to bleed to death quite yet at this stage of our relationship. Keep holding your hand up for a little bit."

"Hah," Harry said, but he sat down at the table and watched as she cleared away the mess. Ginny was just dumping the last few pieces into the bin when Sirius came in. He glanced around, frowning.

"What's going on?"

"Harry received a weird package and cut himself," Ginny said, shaking her head. Sirius immediately went to his godson.

"What? How? Did they send you a machete, and you wanted to impress Ginny with your juggling skills?"

Harry snorted. "No, it was a bloody snow globe, and it just fell apart in my hands, I just nicked my finger on one of the pieces of glass. It's throbbing a little less now."

Sirius frowned. "How deep was it? Cuts don't usually throb unless they're super deep."

"It was more than superficial," Ginny admitted as she joined them. "But it was starting to slow down after we applied some pressure to it. He should survive. We won't have to amputate or anything just yet."

"I love the vote of confidence, Ginny," Harry said, smirking at her. He winced a moment later as Sirius poked at the plaster she'd wrapped around his cut. "Hey, we just got that on there, leave it."

Sirius frowned and then shrugged. "Fine. But if it is still hurting after you take some paracetamol, then we're calling up Dora and having her look at it."

"I'll be fine," Harry said.

Sirius looked at him and then at Ginny and shrugged again. "Did you put it all in the bin? I'll take it out."

Ginny sat down next to Harry as Sirius started fussing with the bin liner. "He's trying to cope by doing something."

Harry chuckled. "He's always been a mother hen."

Sirius stopped and glared in their direction. "Standing right here, you two. And yes, I'm trying to feel needed. Shut up."

Harry and Ginny laughed as Sirius marched the garbage outside to dispose of it. Ginny remembered the coffee and poured them both a cup, grabbing the milk out of the refrigerator for them. Sirius joined them, still frowning at Harry's hand.

"I don't like to think of you get weird gifts that maim you, Harry."

"It probably just got tossed around in the post and was precarious. When I poked at the bottom, it was probably just in the right spot and wham, broken glass and bleeding finger."

Ginny nodded as that indeed had been the gist of it. Still, it had been odd how quickly the globe had seemed to break. "It was a weird thing to send you," she said now, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Probably a collector's item," Harry said. "Although there's probably not a huge market for has-been players immortalized in snow globes. It was probably one of my old mates, rubbing it in or something. I doubt it was a sinister delivery."

Sirius frowned at Harry but didn't say anything, and Ginny gave Harry a little smile. "Maybe it was Cho."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, stage one of Get Harry Back; send a silly gift that maims. Brilliant."

"Why would it be Cho?" Sirius asked, looking between them. Ginny realized they'd never told him they'd ran into her. Harry quickly relayed the story, which had Sirius looking at Ginny appraisingly.

"You handled the ex pretty good there, Weasley. Well done."

"I still say you were wrong," Harry said. "She didn't want me back."

Ginny shrugged but knew Sirius had also understood that part of the story better than Harry had. Sirius smirked at her.

"So how did lunch with Dora and Abigail go? You guys want me for your hen do?" Sirius asked, changing the subject rather abruptly. Ginny blinked at him and then narrowed her eyes.

"How did you know we were talking about that?"

Sirius looked smug for a moment. "Abigail. She loves me, Ginny. _Loves_ me. She's always trying to get my kit off in one way or another. How long did she wait to mention it? Two minutes? Three?"

Harry chuckled but sobered when he saw Ginny's look. She shook her head at Sirius. "Actually, it was Hermione who mentioned it."

Sirius looked surprised. "Really? Wow, good to know." Sirius grinned at them and put his hands behind his head, looking far too pleased with himself. A wide grin filled his face, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Sirius," Harry said, sounding amused. "Ginny doesn't know you're taking the piss. Stop it." Harry looked at Ginny. "Sirius and Abby had a thing. For a while. He always likes to insist she's still crazy about him. I'm pretty sure she's not."

"I think you're right as she never even mentioned it," Ginny said, pursing her lips.

Sirius looked put out. "She was hiding her glee at the suggestion, trust me."

Ginny chuckled. "Anyway, we decided to just have a girl's night of hard liquor and sappy movies. It should be quite fun."

"What are we going to do, Harry? It's your job to arrange a stag night, you know. Oh, your father would have loved it. He could have broken out his antlers, lord help us." Sirius laughed, and Ginny frowned at them.

Harry looked slightly embarrassed but smiled as he explained the reference to her. "My Dad had these antlers he liked to wear…he was wearing them when he met Mum and…well…my Dad had a nickname like Sirius is Padfoot, and Uncle Remus is Moony. My Dad was Prongs."

"Because of the antlers?" Ginny asked, not following.

"Lily picked it," Sirius said, laughing. "Like Harry said, he had those bloody things on his head the first time they met. And she still snogged him later, if you can believe it. Just goes to show you, love is blind sometimes. Anyway, from then on, he was Prongs, and he always, always wore them whenever he could. Remus and I tried hiding them, chucking them into the bin….one time I even tossed them out the car window, and he _still_ found them! I have a secret theory that Lily had given him twenty pairs one Christmas, and he just kept pulling out new ones every time we tried something."

Harry laughed. "I think Uncle Remus said my mum thought they were cute."

"Yeah, well, there's no accounting for taste," Sirius said, snorting. "But then that was your mother. She thought James hung the moon. He could have been dressed as a mustard bottle, and she still would have fallen hard. Thank God he _wasn't_ dressed as a mustard bottle, or his nickname would have something horrible like Colman's or Dijon or something equally ridiculous. Prongs actually suited him."

"Did Harry's mum have a nickname?" Ginny wondered.

Sirius shook his head. "Nah, not really. Lils, maybe. But only James ever used that. Mostly we called her "Evans," and then "Potter Too" after they got married."

"Well, I'm hungry, even if you aren't, Gin," Harry said, stretching and standing up. He looked at his godfather. "How about we make ourselves some chips."

"You can't eat just chips, Harry," Ginny scolded her boyfriend. He winked at her.

"I'm sure Sirius has an idea or two up his sleeve."

Ginny laughed as Harry's godfather nodded his head enthusiastically, and the two men started moving around the kitchen.

"Well, I'm going to go have a bath. Don't make too much of a mess," Ginny said, teasing them.

"No promises, love," Sirius said as he told Harry to put on gloves and start washing the potatoes, his hands already full of some sort of meat.

Ginny hoped they saved her some chips for later. Surely she deserved something delicious after eating a mere salad for lunch, right?

o-o-o-o-o

In the alleyway behind the Potter house, there was movement. It was slow and sure, and a neighbor walking by would not have noticed there was anyone there at all, if they'd looked. Dressed all in black, the man quietly removed the lid to the trash bins and found his prize. Wrapping it up within a small, dark cloth, he pocketed the glass and put the lid back on, stepping back into the shadows.

He smiled to himself. The Dark Lord would be pleased his idea had worked so well – they now had a sample of Potter's blood. He had scoured various rummage sales and church fetes and charity shops all over Devon looking for that blasted snow globe. He just hoped it was a significant enough sample for what he needed to do with it.

He moved quickly into the oncoming evening, his steps sure and steady. Severus Snape was nothing if not methodical, after all. And being a wiz at chemistry meant he knew that various substances had power, and that most could be imitated synthetically. But _blood_ …blood was something special. He couldn't wait to get started.

And if he felt a slight twinge on his heart when he thought of Lily, his childhood friend, he ignored it. She had made her decision when she's joined up with Potter, hadn't she? Severus would have gladly died for her, at one point in time. But he had been a foolish young man with romantic notions then. This time he was not so young, and definitely not so foolish. The fact that her son may help in their endeavors was just destiny having a laugh at him, no doubt.

Severus had never held the young man any actual ill will, but that didn't mean he wouldn't use him in a heartbeat if it meant that Tom Riddle could pull off what he was trying to do. Severus wanted power. Riddle was offering it. It was that simple.

Patting his pocket without realizing, Snape moved into the light of the village's main street and let the evening crowds swallow him back into oblivion. No one noticed him — the tall, severe-looking man with the ink-black, thin hair and sallow skin – just the way he preferred it. He would keep to the shadows until he had what he wanted. Until he had what he needed. Then they would notice him, and they would be afraid. Very afraid.

o-o-o-o-o


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

* * *

As Severus made his way through the empty hallways of his work – Alchemic Arts & Sciences, Ltd, he noted the time and hurried his step. The early arrivals would soon be making their presence known, and while there were not that many of his fellow co-workers who made it in before nine, Snape had not wanted to be seen moving between the labs just yet.

This particular lab was his own private area, and most of his fellow scientists knew not to bother him, but still, he knew there was always the chance. The hallway was only one of two that lacked CCTV access, and he preferred it that way. It's why he had chosen the lab, after all. He liked working for A they paid him handsomely and kept out of his business. But they were still about making as much money as possible, and God help the employee found working on his own ideas on the company time.

He opened the door with a quick turn of his key and shut it firmly behind him. He went through the ritual of removing his outside frock and replacing it with his lab coat. He went into the office and flicked the switch for the kettle – he would be a good employee later and finish his paperwork while enjoying a nice cuppa. But for now, he wanted to check the progress of his experiments.

Crossing over to the small set of burners and various other objects of his trade, Snape slipped a pair of safety goggles over his head and peered down at the beaker. The liquid was a dingy brown sort of color, nothing extraordinary or noteworthy there. He looked next at the next container and smiled to himself. This one held more promise as it had changed from an ashen grey to an almost complete solid white. He made a note of the change in the book he kept near the equipment and moved on.

The third and final beaker was the one he was most interested in and yet most reticent about. He had mixed a sample of the Potter blood with various other alchemical ingredients to little or no promise. The two examples he'd just inspected had experienced the most encouraging results. But this beaker held a sample of Potter's blood and a few more…esoteric, natural ingredients that he had pulled and prepared himself. He was extremely curious as to how everything had _amalgamated_.

He lifted the beaker up to the light and frowned. It had not changed much in color – it still held a dark purple sort of sheen that could very well be because of the red Rosie basil he had added at the last moment. He had wanted an agent to calm the other, more volatile ingredients, and the basil had seemed to fit the profile. He lowered the beaker and took in a deep breath, inhaling its scent. He could smell the basil and the asphodel, but there was a hint of something else…

Snape put down the beaker and frowned to himself. He would have to try it, the risk be damned. Grabbing one of his smaller syringes, he lowered it slowly into the beaker and withdrew the liquid equally as slowly. He lay his other hand flat on the surface of the table and held the syringe over it, pausing for only a moment. Letting just a few drops of it fall on his hand, he waited for any sort of burning sensation, but nothing occurred. Setting the syringe down, he rubbed the relatively thick concoction into his skin. His hand tingled for a moment and then nothing. Sighing, he cleaned up the needle and placed the beaker back into its holder. So much for that.

He checked the few other items he had and then made his way back to his office. He poured his water into his already prepared teacup and sat down, staring off into the distance. Perhaps the semi-success (successful in that he was still alive and not burned or harmed in some way) with the third potion was the key. Maybe he needed more natural ingredients – older, less familiar ones. Ingredients that were not artificially made. His grandmother had been a botanical genius and had taught him most of what he knew of old plants and their uses. Snape was sure he still had a few of her old journals at home he could look through, at least, to give him some ideas. He realized he was staring at the small bottle that sat on the shelf above his desk without thinking about it. It contained a small amount of powder from the stone that Riddle had allowed him to procure. It was not much, and he was loathe to try it with anything until he knew for certain what would happen. He did not have much of Potter's blood left, this was true, but that was clearly much easier to get. Smiling to himself, Severus took a sip of his tea and then set his mind to his daily work.

o-o-o-o-o

It was early in the morning when Harry awoke. Much earlier than he usually did, and he smiled at Ginny's tangled mess of hair next to him. He considered waking her up as well, just so they could be together before she left for work. But he decided to let her sleep. Harry brushed the hair out of her mouth and eyes and kissed her gently on the forehead. She murmured quietly and then was still as he slipped out of bed.

Padding into the loo, Harry yawned as he squinted at his reflection in the mirror. He turned on the shower and stepped in before he could change his mind – he usually liked to have at least one cup of coffee before making himself presentable. But he thought he would get it done with so that Ginny could have more time later.

Hair half-way dry, glasses and pants on and a dressing robe still around his shoulders, he headed downstairs to start the morning ritual of coffee and tea. Harry stopped short when he realized that Zee was sitting at the kitchen table, a few books spread out before her. He hadn't realized Sirius's girlfriend had stayed the night. They'd been quiet as church mice, apparently.

Zee noticed him standing in the doorway and gave him a small smile. "Oh, hello, Harry. I didn't think anyone would be up yet. Do you need me to get out of your way?"

Harry shook his head. "No, stay. I just didn't know you were here." He looked and saw that she had already put the kettle on and started the coffee. He grabbed some bread from the box and busied himself with making toast for a moment. After a little while, he made his way to the table, coffee and food in hand. Zee smiled at him again.

"I came back late last night, and Sirius surprised me at the airport. Your house was closer."

"It's fine," Harry said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Thanks for making the coffee."

"I'm still on Helsinki time, unfortunately. I'll probably crash later, so I wanted the coffee to push that time as far off as I could." Zee moved some of her papers and books out of the way.

"What on earth were you doing in Finland?" Harry asked.

Zee chuckled. "There was a rare bird they'd found, and I was called in to help out with determining its classification. It was the strangest thing, too. It was a bird not usually found in Finland, and yet an entire family of it was found to be thriving. And the plumage was also a rather unusual color for that breed."

"What kind of bird?" Harry asked politely. He tried to hold back a yawn but must have failed.

Zee gave him a knowing but amused look. "You don't really care; it's okay. Sirius gave me much the same look when I left. The thing interesting to me is that this seems to keep happening more and more. Animals that we thought were near extinction or lost have been found in the strangest of places. It's why I've been traveling so much. It's quite exciting to people in my field, but I know not everyone is going to care a bright red Bennu was found in Finland."

Zee laughed good-naturedly, and Harry grinned back at her as he finished his toast. "I bet Sirius likes it when you talk about dogs, though," he eventually said. Zee winked at him.

"Yes, we have many, _many_ conversations about his favorite breeds to train. We get into debates about it, actually. I'm sure you'd find it funny to listen to us."

"Let me guess, he loves training Labradors and Border Collies the best."

Zee smiled. "Oh, so you have had this discussion with him before."

Harry nodded. "He makes his opinion known fairly regularly. And fairly loudly and enthusiastically as well. I take it you disagree with his opinion?"

"Well, those dogs are intelligent and quite good for show, but…I have a soft spot for a few different breeds. Sirius has managed to turn this into a great insult into his ability as a trainer, of course."

Harry smirked. Knowing his godfather as he did, he was sure Sirius disagreed with Zee only because he liked a good argument. Harry looked at her, realizing that Sirius cared for her a great deal more than he'd let on. Maybe more so than even he himself knew. Sirius only fought with people he truly cared about. It was a weird trait, to be sure, but while Harry knew his godfather liked debating and playing devil's advocate a little bit too much, he also only did it with people he truly loved.

"Oh, fantastic, the bloody coffee's on." Sirius came into the kitchen then as though they'd conjured him, yawning and still only half-dressed. Harry shook his head at his godfather. When his Sirius finally appeared more awake, he gazed at the two of them sitting at the table.

"Oh, hey, Harry. Zee stayed the night. Is that okay?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Too late now if it wasn't, and besides, this is your place too, Sirius. Honestly."

Sirius smirked at him and sat down at the table. He grabbed the last piece of Harry's toast and started munching on it. Harry sighed and got up to put his plate in the dishwasher. He poured himself more coffee (what was left after Sirius) and sat back down. His godfather was smirking at Zee.

"She tell you about her mysterious bird adventure?" Sirius said, turning to him.

Harry nodded. "It was interesting."

Zee snorted into her cup and shook her head. "Now, now."

Sirius laughed. "She never believes me when I tell her that either, Harry. Don't bother."

Harry pursed his lips and ignored them. "It was, though. Why is a…what did you say…a red Bennu so interesting to find in Finland?"

"And furthermore," Sirius interrupted. "What in the world _is_ a red Bennu, to begin with? Sounds like a Japanese dish. Hmm. Sushi. I should make breakfast. Although not with fish. Even I'm not that barking."

Zee rolled her eyes. "It's always about food with you. But a Bennu is a type of heron. Magnificent bird, really. They are hardly ever red, though. So that was the first interesting thing, and they are rarely found outside desert type environments. But we found a whole nest, thriving. It was extraordinary. My mentor was beside himself. Couldn't stop talking about the discovery the whole trip."

"He went with you? I thought he was retired now?" Sirius asked.

"He goes with us when we have things like this," Zee said, shrugging.

"I still can't believe your mentor was our old Biology professor. If James were here, he'd be well chuffed about it. He loved that old nutter. He's one of the reasons your dad went into research instead of medicine, Harry." Sirius said, nodding at him.

Harry frowned. "Which professor was this?"

"You know, the one I told you about – he helped James land his first gig at that company, A and S or something or other. Friends with the owner. Wanted your dad to head up their Research and Development divisions. Professor Dumbledore."

"Albus doesn't go by professor much anymore," Zee said. "But I think he remembers you and your father, Harry. I may have mentioned Sirius once or twice in passing. He immediately seemed to know I meant Sirius Black."

"That's because my awesome reputation precedes me in all areas, Zee. And really, how many Sirius's do you meet in a lifetime?"

"Thankfully, just the one," Zee said, smiling fondly at him. "Not sure womankind could handle there being two of you in one lifetime."

Harry glanced at the clock above the table and realized he should make sure Ginny was awake. "Are you making eggs?" He looked pointedly at Sirius, who tore his eyes away from his girlfriend somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to Harry.

"Reckon. For Ginny?"

Harry nodded and went to pour some tea to take up to her. Sirius started moving around the kitchen, getting his ingredients together as he kept chatting with Zee about her mentor. Harry shook his head as he went upstairs. _Dumbledore. What an odd name_.

o-o-o-o-o

"So, dinner after work, or should I cook?" Harry asked Ginny as they headed out the door. Ginny squinted into the sunlight and pulled her sunglasses onto her face as they climbed into the Jeep.

"Hmm, let me send you a message at lunch, and I'll see how I'm feeling. I feel like staying in right now, but who knows about later."

Harry backed the Jeep out of the drive and then nodded at Ginny, a smirk on his face. "Go ahead, you know you want to."

Ginny grinned and then started messing with his radio. Harry chuckled and rested his hand on her leg briefly, giving it a playful squeeze. She sat back after finding a station she liked and gave him an amused look as she started humming along.

After a few moments, Ginny looked up from her phone. "Perhaps we should see what Hermione and Ron are up to? It's been ages since Ron has seen us, or so he says." She held up her mobile. "He just texted me asking if we were still related, and did I used to know a bloke with green eyes and messy black hair? I think that's my brother's way of saying it's been too long."

Harry snorted. "All right, I'll call them and make sure it's all right with Hermione. Or if I can bring anything other than my handsome self. And you, of course."

"Thanks, I think. Oh, bugger, let's just say the Dragon's Wake so Hermione doesn't have to cook either."

"I'm sure that would be agreeable to all parties," Harry said diplomatically and smiled when Ginny shook her head. Pulling into the car park at the Center, Harry leaned over and pulled her closer. "We should snog now, so I don't embarrass myself in front of your co-workers."

Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Oh? Considering more than a mere peck, then, is that it?"

"Of course. I want all of you all the time," Harry said softly as he tilted her head back. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as he moved even closer.

When they finally broke apart, Ginny's face was red, and her hair was more than a bit mussed. Harry smiled at her as she tried to straighten herself up. She shook her head at him. "I didn't know snogging in the Jeep was going to be quite so.. _disheveling."_

Harry merely waggled his eyebrows at her. "I think I was sort of regretting my choice to let you sleep in this morning, that's all. I got carried away."

"Hmm." Ginny murmured as she got out of the Jeep.

Harry joined her, and they walked into the Center, holding hands. Harry kissed her briefly on the top of her head as she headed towards her office. He watched her for a moment, loving the outfit she'd worn today. He absolutely had to tell her to buy ten more pairs of jeans, just like _those_. They made her backside look deliciously… Harry shook himself and tried to get his mind off his girlfriend's arse for at least a little while. He knocked on Ian's door and smiled when the other man called out to enter. His smile turned to confusion when he saw Ian kneeling on the ground under his desk.

"Did you lose something?" Harry asked, bending down.

Ian swore as he bumped his head and looked at Harry. "Oh, just a piece of paper with an important email address scribbled on it. Oh, well, it'll turn up eventually. How are you, Harry?"

"Fine. What's this about a police report?"

Harry sat down in one of Ian's chairs and looked at his secretary expectantly. Ian moved a few files around on his desk and eventually handed one to Harry, nodding at him.

"From the break-in. Thought you'd find it interesting."

Harry flipped open the file and read the brief report. There was nothing new that he could see, and then a name popped up at him from the end of the report about fingerprints that had been found. He looked at Ian.

"Is this for real?" Harry finally asked. Ian shrugged.

"Apparently. They're questioning him now. Do you have a feud with that family or something?"

Harry shook his head. "Never even met him. Ate at his restaurant, though. Why in the hell is Draco Malfoy breaking into our Sports Centers?"

"The officer who gave me the file asked the same thing. I said I would ask you, but you weren't even on speaking terms with the family as far as I know. He wants you to call him. Uh, here's his card…Sergeant Hathaway. He didn't say it was urgent or anything, but sooner would be better than later."

Harry looked at the card and pocketed it, knowing he'd have to call later. He still didn't understand why the Malfoys were involved. Harry got a strange feeling at the back of his neck and shuddered against his will. Ian gave him a worried look.

"Harry?"

"Sorry, just got one of those weird, creepy feelings down my back. Anything else you need me for? While I'm here?"

As Ian launched into another plea for a new center out of the country, Harry let his mind wander. Why would a well-known chef from a local restaurant be breaking into centers in his downtime? Cheap thrills? Did he have a vendetta against Harry that he was unaware of? Someone else at the Center? Had they been trying to get the records that Ian had just made electronic?

"And I can tell by the vacant expression you're really not listening to me," Ian finished saying, which caused Harry to look at him.

"Sorry. I was thinking about fingerprints. And besides, Ian-"

"I know you don't want to go out of England right now. I just thought I would give it one more hard sell. I've got a great area in the Highlands that really needs help, that's all. I think a Center there could really flourish."

"Well, send them money or aide in any way you can, but for right now, I want to stay around here. I'm trying to remodel a house, you know."

"And you don't want to be away from your lovely fiancé either," Ian said, finally cracking a smile. Harry nodded, matching his expression.

"And there's that. Knowing you, you'd have me gone for months at a time."

Ian merely rolled his eyes, but Harry knew he had made his point.

"Speaking of said fiancé, could you run down to their office and give them these forms? HR is getting on my back about making sure we have everyone's updated contact information for the computers."

Harry gave Ian a mock salute and then made his way to Ginny's office. He heard laughter and paused in the doorway as he watched his friend, Arabella Figg, explaining something to them. Ginny saw him first and smiled brightly as she waved him in. Arabella turned and held out her arms.

"Harry! I was just regaling the troops about the time I made sausage rolls for three-hundred children!"

Harry hugged her and smiled at the employees behind her. He pulled away and gave her an affectionate look. "Now, Bella, you know it was only around a hundred and fifty or so. Not three-hundred."

"Oh, pish-posh," Arabella said, swatting at his arm. "It was still bloody impressive."

Harry shook his head and handed the papers out to everyone, explaining it was from Ian. He paused at Ginny's desk and sat down on the corner as she filled her form out. She winked at him when she was done and stood up to collect everyone else's. Harry jumped off her desk and left their room quietly, resting against the wall next to their door. A moment later, Ginny appeared, papers folded under her arms and keys in hand. They quickly made their way to their favorite place to take a walk and be alone together.

"I should get yelled at for allowing you to lure me out here with just a look, you know," Ginny chuckled.

"You looked like you needed a break," Harry said, shrugging.

"I haven't been here an hour yet, Harry."

"I am the boss, Ginny."

She just shook her head at him as they started their trek around the field. "Ron said eating together tonight is a brilliant idea, and he hopes Norbert has a new special he can try."

Harry laughed. "I haven't even talked to Hermione yet. Hope he cleared it with her."

"Oh, I'm sure he has. My brother is nothing if not highly protective of his own self. Especially in the face of his wife."

They walked in amused silence for a bit, and Harry thought about the police report again. He glanced at Ginny.

"Do you remember that restaurant we went to when we all met up to celebrate us getting together?"

Ginny smirked. "You mean the dinner to celebrate us, "pulling our heads out our backsides," as my brother so eloquently put it? Yeah. _The Herbed Serpent_. Why?"

"Do you know the family who owns it?"

"Malfoy something or other? No, not really. I mean, I just know of them. I think Dean was mates with the younger one when he was at school, but he said they grew apart the older they got. Apparently, he was _troubled youth_.

"His fingerprints were found at the Exeter Center after the break-in. The police are finally getting back to Ian about it. I don't know them at all, and I can't figure out why one of them would want to break into one of our centers."

Ginny's brows knitted. "What does Ian say about it?"

"He was waiting for _me_ to have some insight."

Harry sighed as they reached the doors again, and Ginny squeezed his hand. She bent down and placed the papers she'd been carrying and her keys on the ground and then stood back up, wrapping her hands around his waist.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she nestled her head underneath his chin. Harry held her close for a moment and then met her eyes.

"It's just weird, all these things happening. The Pettigrew stuff, your stalker getting out of prison, and now new information about the break-in. And we never did figure out who placed that wire that made you trip and fall before. You could have been really hurt, Gin, now that I think about it."

"But I wasn't, Harry. See?" Ginny held her leg out and twisted her ankle back and forth to prove her point. She winked at him. "I'm fine. And as for the other stuff…they aren't really connected, are they?"

"No, I reckon not. It's just a feeling I have."

"Well, concentrate on this feeling then," Ginny murmured and stretched up to kiss him. Harry soon lost himself in the feeling of her in his arms. He sighed for an entirely different reason when she broke the kiss.

"See you about 5:30, okay?" Ginny murmured, letting her finger trace his lips. Harry smiled.

"On the dot."

They left the gymnasium behind them, and Ginny handed the papers to him. "Here, may as well drop these off for me."

"Yes, ma'am. You know, that's all I do, all day, take papers from Ian to other people. Now you have me doing it, too. It's a plot."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, we just held our bi-monthly meeting of Ways to Make Harry Potter Be Our Errand Boy."

"I knew it," Harry said, grinning. They parted at her office, and Harry dropped off the papers as asked, leaving them right in the middle of the desk, as Ian was nowhere to be found. He passed a group of girls coming in, and they all giggled when they saw him. One of them may have muttered 'hello' to his greeting, but then they were laughing again and heading off towards the training rooms.

When Harry got back into the Jeep, he remembered the card Ian had given him. He pulled it out and looked at it. _James Hathaway, Detective Sergeant_. He reckoned he should call the man and get it over with. But first, perhaps a coffee. Making his decision, Harry turned the Jeep in the opposite direction from home, towards Dobby's Donut Shoppe. Serious chats with coppers called for serious coffee and seriously sugared pastries. Harry smirked to himself. He'd read enough mystery novels to know that, at least.

o-o-o-o-o

"Blimey, so Sirius thinks this Pettigrew bloke had something to do with your parent's accident? That's insane, Harry."

They were sitting in the back booth of Hagrid's restaurant, lingering over their dinner. Harry had decided to tell his two friends about what had been going on with him lately. Ron was in a state of disbelief. But Hermione looked thoughtful.

"What is it?" Ginny asked the other woman as she had apparently noticed their friend's look as well.

"Nothing, it's just…there does seem to be a pattern emerging with you two lately. First, you have the Riddle stuff to deal with, then you tell us someone deliberately set up something to make you fall-"

"We don't know that was set for me specifically, Hermione," Ginny interrupted, and Harry nodded. Hermione conceded her point.

"All right, but still. Then there was the break-in at Harry's Center right before that, and now this Pettigrew person is seen by Sirius. It's just…odd."

"Don't forget the phone call Riddle made to Ginny," Harry said, staring into his drink. Ron cleared his throat.

"It was just the once, though, right, sis?"

Ginny nodded. "I would have told you if it had been more. I haven't had any wrong calls or weird texts since Harry bought me my new mobile."

Ron nodded as though satisfied. Harry picked at the last of his food and then lay his utensils down. "And then the whole Malfoy thing."

Hermione frowned in confusion, but Ron, Harry noticed, sat up straighter.

"I'm sorry, did you say Malfoy?"

"Yeah, the chef or whatever from that restaurant we all went to. They found his fingerprints in the Exeter Center after the break-in. Just talked to the Sergeant handling it today."

"I have to call Neville! He also talked to me about Malfoy. They visited Riddle in prison!"

Harry felt Ginny grow very still next to him and glanced at her as he slipped his hand into hers. She was staring at her brother.

"When did Neville tell you this?"

Ron looked a bit red in the face as he met his sister's eyes. "Er, before Riddle got out, Neville ran a check to see who had been visiting him. The Malfoys were on the list."

Everyone at the table sat in stunned silence for a moment, and Harry shook his head. "Now, that can't be a coincidence at all."

Hermione nodded. "I agree. They're up to something, but what on earth is it?"

Harry didn't know, and he could tell the talk had started to spook Ginny. He tilted his head as he looked at Hermione, and she looked at Ginny, too. She suddenly turned to her husband.

"Ron, let's go up to the bar and see what Norbert can make us for pudding. Okay?"

Before Ron could sputter out a reply, she pulled him out of the booth, and Harry grinned at them. He turned to Ginny and slipped an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her tightly.

"Hey. All right?"

She met his look, her brown eyes wide. "It feels a bit…overwhelming suddenly. Why is he sending people to break into your Centers? What does he want? And did he get it? And what's coming next? Because if he is up to something, he's not going to stop until we put him away again, Harry. And now he's got you in his sights, too."

"I'm fine. You're fine. Let's try not to worry about things just yet. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for things and maybe not. All I know is I will never let him get anywhere near you, ever again. Potter men protect their women."

Ginny's face finally relaxed, and she gave him a small smile. "How many women do you have then? Two? Three? Where do I fall on this list?"

"I just have the one, and boy, is she a lot of work," Harry deadpanned. He kissed her forehead. "You are safe, Ginny. I promise."

She nodded as Hermione and Ron returned to the table with four different kinds of ice cream sundaes, and while the mood was more subdued than before, Harry was happy to see Ginny didn't seem quite so scared. He wondered if he should get security set up for her, or at least, for the house. Deciding to talk to Sirius about it when they got home, Harry tried to enjoy the rest of their evening and make sure that Ginny did as well.

o-o-o-o-o

"What news?" Riddle asked Pettigrew as the other man brought him a drink.

"The Lestranges are back from Italy. She says she has the item you requested. Also, Lucius needs to speak to you, but he won't tell me about what."

Riddle hid a smile as Peter's voice grew petulant. He liked his disciples to not always feel so friendly with each other. It helped keep them on their toes, and it also made them trust him and only him.

"Tell Bellatrice I shall see them tomorrow for lunch. She may give it to me then. Send Lucius in as you leave, Peter. Have a good night."

"Are you certain you won't need me after-"

"I said, have a good night, Pettigrew."

The other man nodded and lowered his eyes immediately. Tom felt a righteous sensation hit him. Ah, yes, he had this one trained well.

It was just a few moments until Peter was leaving, and Lucius was strutting into the room, blonde hair flying. Tom fixed his face with a disapproving glare until Malfoy stopped prancing and lowered his head.

"My Lord, I am sorry for the intrusion, but I had to talk to you about things that I did not want to share with…the others."

Riddle remained silent until Lucius started to fidget. When the other man met his eyes, he grew still once again and waited. Tom looked at his nails and flicked his fingers at an invisible piece of lint on his trouser leg. The only way to get someone like Malfoy to obey him was to treat him like rubbish. It was a time-honored tradition he had learned as a young boy, and it always worked. If others think they are above you, then you make sure that they understand that they are not. Simple, yet priceless.

"It is your son, is it not?"

Lucius looked mildly surprised, but he masked it well and didn't say anything. Tom gave him a smile.

"I knew this was going to happen. It is alright, Lucius. I had planned for this. Don't worry. The police will not get anywhere with it. You have my word."

"My Lord, I…I am sorry I doubted you. It is…he is young and stupid."

"He is the same age as me, practically, Lucius. Am I young and stupid as well?"

"No, my Lord, I meant no-"

"Yes, yes, Lucius. I know. Now, though, tell me about the increased efforts we've made to get the information I need."

As Lucius began to tell him what he already knew, Tom let his mind wander. He imagined Ginny, suddenly, and felt a fondness in his chest. He must see her and soon with his own eyes, not the photographs Lucius supplied him with. Perhaps if he showed up at her work… _causally_. He smiled to himself at the thought. He could just imagine the look on her face when she saw him.

"My Lord?" Lucius's voice invaded his thoughts, and Tom came back to the present.

"Yes, the extra money for the hackers, yes. Do not worry, Lucius, your money will come back to you tenfold when I am done."

"I do not worry about the costs, My Lord."

"Yes, I know. Please, let's call it a night, Lucius. I fear I have another headache coming on."

Lucius nodded and backed away slowly, as though moving away from a predator. Riddle did let his smile show at that. Just when the man was about to leave, he called out to him.

"Oh, and Lucius, if your son ever does anything for me again and messes up as he has this time, I will not be so understanding. Is that clear?"

Lucius's eyes went wide, but he nodded in comprehension and closed the door behind him.

Yes, Riddle thought it was good to be king. Now he needed his queen to begin to learn her lessons as well.

o-o-o-o-o

Author’s Note: Is anyone reading this on this site? Because honestly, it isn’t worth it to me to keep posting because no one reviews. If you are reading this, just let me know and I’ll continue. But as of right now, I am not sure it is worth the bother. 


	13. 13

_Author's Note: Yes! Finally. This story is not dead. It was only sleeping for a little bit. Many thanks for hanging in there with me. I will try not to be quite so slow with updates, this time. But the muse is indeed a fickle thing._

* * *

Chapter 13:

It was a week before Dora and Remus's wedding, and Ginny was waiting for Harry to get his final fitting at the shop for his tuxedo. He refused to let her see him in it before the wedding. So, she was stuck outside, trying to get into the book he'd given her and enjoying the cup of tea he had also been thoughtful enough to include as well.

She shivered in the late autumn breeze and pulled her jacket closer to her. She was glad the wedding would be half indoors; otherwise, all the guests would most likely freeze. Feeling a prickly feeling at the base of her neck, Ginny put her book down and took a sip of tea as she casually glanced around. There were just the standard group of mid-morning pedestrians walking to their destinations. But still, the feeling that she was being watched persisted. Ginny was mindful of the discussion she'd had with Harry, her brother and Hermione the other night. She reached into her pocket and surreptitiously pulled out her mobile. She shot off a message to Harry and then waited.

A moment later, he answered back, and Ginny smirked.

_You miss me this much already? It's because you know I'm scantily clad in here, isn't it, Red?_

_I feel like someone is watching me_ – Ginny paused and then deleted her message. That would send Harry right out the door, whether he had his trousers on or not. She didn't need him to overreact, after all. She finally decided on telling a half-truth. Her bum really was getting cold from the cement bench.

_Your woman is cold. Can she please, oh kind sir, please come in and warm her wretched fingers and cold toes against the fire of your cockles?_

Ginny smirked as she saw Harry start to reply mere seconds later.

_Cockles? What the hell are cockles, Red? And why is mine on fire, hm? That sound's dirty, and while I am quite sure the gentleman doing my fitting wouldn't mind showing me his cockles (whatever they are), there's hardly any room in here. Sirius is commanding center stage and taking up every conceivable space, and Remus is shaking his head ruefully….but wait, I think we can squeeze you in. Get in here before you catch your death. I told you to wear a heavier jacket._

Ginny sent a single word in reply, 'hrmph,' and started gathering her things. She glanced around again and noticed a man in long black coat with an equally black hat (pulled down low to cover his face), standing across the street, apparently having a cigarette. Ginny watched him for a moment, but he didn't look her way and casually blew a puff of smoke into the air. It felt very staged to her, as though the man knew she was studying him. Ginny wasn't sure how long she would have sat there staring if Remus hadn't opened the door to the shop and rolled his chair half-way out.

"Ginny? Harry says you're about to catch hypothermia out here. We found you a chair."

She turned and flashed a thankful look at Harry's uncle, and when she glanced back across the street, the man had disappeared. Remus followed her gaze and frowned.

"Someone over there you know?" Remus asked now as she entered the warm confines of the shop. Ginny shook her head. She had probably just been imagining it. But the unease inside of her persisted.

Harry came out of the dressing area then, not half-dressed, but _half-nicely_ dressed. He had a pair of very fine trousers on, which were pinned at the edges to better fit him, but his regular shirt was tossed over his shoulders as though he'd just thrown it on. Ginny figured that is precisely what he'd done as a moment later, a man was following him out, looking cross.

"Mr Potter! I have to finish or you will be going to this wedding completely starkers. While I am sure that would be quite fun for most of us, I sincerely doubt you want to dishonor your uncle this way!"

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his head. "Hang on, would you? Give me five seconds to get her sorted." Harry nodded his head towards Ginny, which made the other man look at her, a deep frown forming on his face. In fact, it was practically a scowl. He put his nose in the air and sniffed at Harry, and went back to the fitting rooms.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered. He tilted his head to the left, and Ginny saw the aforementioned chair someone had shoved in between two racks of shirts and trousers. Harry pulled her in for a hug, and Ginny smirked at him when he finally let go.

"You are cold," he said, feeling her hands. "Still got tea in that cup?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Drink it. There's no getting sick before the wedding. Dora's orders."

Ginny demurely sat down, and Harry raised his eyebrow at her as she sipped her tea. He narrowed his eyes. "You're awfully agreeable."

"Hypothermia does that to a girl."

"Hah. We're almost done. I hope. Sirius is done, at any rate. Thankfully."

At the mention of his godfather, the man in question came strolling out of the dressing area, whistling. His face brightened when he saw Ginny. He made a gesture with his thumb at Harry.

"Get in there before Trevor throws himself onto the tailoring scissors in a grand sacrifice. He's practically foaming at the mouth and saying he's going to dye the other half of your tuxedo cat-piss yellow."

''Yeah, yeah, we both know what will shut him up," Harry muttered, but Ginny noticed he did hurry back to the dressing room rather quickly. She smiled at Sirius.

"You're sorted then?"

"Yeah. I just bought mine outright. I don't want to go through this again when someone else I know finally gets married." Sirius flashed a grin at her and pushed one of the racks of clothing out of the way. He looked around and then shrugged, throwing himself down on the ground next to her so he could sit.

"So you'll have it for you and Zee's wedding?" Ginny teased. She put her book way; tormenting Sirius was a much better form of entertainment.

Surprisingly, Sirius did not scowl at her but gave her a small smile. "If I do ever tie the knot, it will be in private. We'll scarper off to Buenos Aires and elope."

Ginny was surprised. "Really? You wouldn't even have Harry there?"

"Er, well, okay, maybe not completely private. Four people, tops. And the lucky bride, of course, whoever that would be."

"Not Zee, then?"

This time Sirius did scowl at her. "Yes, yes, it would probably be Zee. Bloody…look, Ginny, if you repeat this to either of those two blighters, I will categorically deny it, but Zee is the only woman I could see myself married to." The moment the words left his mouth, Ginny could tell he was almost as surprised as her that they'd escaped. Sirius blinked at her and then shook his head, his easy-going smile returning to his handsome face once again.

"We both know I meant you and Harry. So come on, have you guys talked about the day, or are you going to just be engaged forever?"

Ginny chuckled. "Sirius, you are worse than a gossiping old woman. Let us get through this wedding first, before you have us planning our own. Besides, we _just_ got engaged."

"You weren't really cold out there, were you?" Sirius asked after he'd chuckled at her.

Ginny tried not to appear startled. "Uh, I was a bit. Why?"

He stopped what he was about to say and closed his mouth, looking closely at her. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Ginny shrugged for emphasis, but since Sirius himself was a master evader, she knew he didn't buy it.

"You look shook up and a bit peaky. And not because you're cold. Spill, Weasley. Or I'll call Harry out here."

Ginny sighed. "I just felt like someone was watching me," she jerked her head towards the outside. "Out there, and there was a strange bloke smoking, but he ignored me, so…" Ginny paused. There was still something bothering her.

"He only acted like he was ignoring you, is that it?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I kind of get the feeling he was who I felt watching me. And after all the things we talked about the other night…"

Sirius stood up and moved to look out the shop's window. He turned back to her. "Is he still out there?"

Ginny joined him and peered out with him. She didn't see the man any longer and, for some reason, felt immensely relieved.

"God, I'm acting bloody paranoid," she muttered. She felt Sirius put a hand gently on her back.

"I think you're just feeling hyper-aware of things, which is good. If someone is out there plotting against you two, I'd like to think you're both taking it seriously. Harry, er, may have asked me about lining up some security for you. How do you feel about that?"

Ginny pulled back and felt a host of various emotions, but primarily it was mostly surprise. _Security?_ For her? Did Harry really think she couldn't take care of herself? And then she felt silly because Harry worrying over her was one of the things that made him the man she'd fallen for to begin with. His sweetness.

"Hey, it's not an offense to your womanhood or anything," Sirius said, gauging her reaction. "He's just worried. It might give you peace of mind, too, if you think on it. He said he was going to mention it to you soon, so don't be too surprised. Or too, reactionary."

Ginny shook her head and smirked at Harry's godfather. Just then, she saw Harry come out of the fitting room in his regular clothes, looking hassled. He spotted them and soon came over.

"I think all weddings should be casual affairs and we should all wear jeans and a shirt. This experience has soured me on the whole 'let's look nice and presentable for everyone,' it really has."

"Well, those trousers looked extremely nice, so I can't wait to see the rest of it. Suits and tuxedos are sort of lingerie for women, you know," Ginny said, grinning at him.

"I thought lingerie was lingerie for women?" Sirius asked as they headed back towards her stuff. Remus was just finishing up at the counter, she noticed.

"Lingerie is most definitely for men." Ginny tsked at Sirius. "You know that."

"Bit sad for my godson that _you_ know it, though," Sirius muttered, and Ginny punched him lightly on the arm as he snickered.

Harry shook his head. "Ginny's got loads of sexy lingerie for me, don't worry. Er, they are for me, right?"

Ginny laughed and pulled his hand into hers. "Of course, silly. No man ever existed before you, you know that."

"Hmm, my mind doubts it, but my ears and heart are saying to go ahead and believe it," Harry smirked at her.

They soon realized Remus was waiting on them. They all left the shop, with Sirius and Remus heading one way and Harry and Ginny the other, promising to meet up for dinner at the Dragon's Wake. Harry helped her into the Jeep and then looked expectantly at her as he climbed into the driver's side.

"Well? One of my wedding errands is done. Now what?"

"I could go into work," Ginny said, giving him a look.

"Nah, too boring. Besides, Ian knows you're mine this week and has planned your workload accordingly. You are allowed to work from home by order of the big boss."

"Hmm. It's funny how you don't want to be called that until it gets you something you want."

Harry winked at her. "You're catching on. Must think about changing up my tactics. Well, Dora did want me to run out to Hayne with a new menu and drinks list. Feel adventuresome? We can grab lunch at that same pub from before."

Ginny nodded, knowing it was useless to argue with Harry yet again about work. In truth, she didn't mind being off for the wedding. She supposed that the idea that Tom was out there planning something had thrown her more than she'd realized. She knew she should be firm and prove to him (if he _was_ watching) that she would go on with her life regardless of what he did. And for the most part, Ginny knew that was how she appeared to the untrained eye. But the morning's strange encounter with the man outside the shop had left more unease than she liked to admit. Ginny almost said something to Harry, but he sounded so happy singing along to the radio as he drove that she didn't have the heart. Ginny knew the discussion would keep.

They pulled into the Hayne car park, and Ginny smiled despite her somber mood – it was still a lovely place to have a wedding. The trees and garden were filled with even more autumn colors than before, and not even the cold bite in the air could mar its allure.

Harry sighed as they got out of the Jeep and took hold of her hand. Perhaps, if she and Harry waited long enough, they _could_ get married at Hayne. It was something to think about, at least. One of the Creevey brothers came out to meet them, and Ginny smiled as Harry started showing him Dora's new list of requests. They wandered inside towards the main building, and Ginny tilted her head towards the back garden when Harry looked at her. He nodded in understanding, and she started making her way to what she liked to now call their special bench.

Ginny sighed as she reached the spot. The spot where she and Harry had spontaneously decided to join their lives together. Warmth rushed through her at the memory, and she looked down at the ring on her finger. She loved him so much. Sometimes the feeling would just hit her, and she'd feel overwhelmed, almost. Ginny shook her head at herself; she was definitely in a pensive sort of mood today.

Her mobile went off, and she glanced at it, not recognizing the number. Frowning, she opened the screen and then stared at the words floating in the message box.

_Did you enjoy your morning tea? I'm sorry you felt as though you needed to hide in that shop._

Ginny's hand shook as she hit the back button on her phone and deleted the message. She swallowed roughly. She placed her mobile down on the bench next to her. Ginny didn't trust herself not to pitch this one into the river that flowed a few hundred feet away from her. Her stomach clenched with a sudden bundle of nerves.

Another vibration from her mobile and she knew it was him again. Almost against her will, she picked the phone back up and looked at it, knowing she shouldn't, but feeling unable to stop herself.

_Do you really think you should be alone right now, Ginny?_

Ginny swore and then clicked the number, trying to remember how to block it. She pressed half-a-dozen things on the screen before finding what she was looking for. She hit 'block sender' and then turned her mobile completely off for good measure. She glanced around the clearing and shuddered, suddenly feeling as though she was going to be sick. But she forced herself to stand up calmly and turn towards the main building, walking as fast as she could without running. If he was watching her, he would not get the satisfaction of seeing her run.

She met up with Harry half-way back, who seemed surprised to see her coming back so soon. He started to say something and then stopped, noticing what she was sure was her off expression. He quickly made the last few steps to her.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny shook her head. She did not feel up to explaining anything just yet. She merely looked at him and muttered one word. " _Home_." She didn't even wince at the sound of her own pleading.

To Harry's credit, he did not ask her a million questions and merely nodded, taking her hand into his. He led her up the path back to the Jeep and made sure she was strapped in before sprinting back towards the main hall, probably to tell the Creevey brothers they were leaving. Ginny sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, tiny pinpricks of light exploding behind them as her head gave a whinge. She was holding her head in her hands when Harry got back into the Jeep.

"Headache?"

Ginny nodded, and Harry leaned over her and flipped open the glovebox. She heard him rummaging through it and then heard him swear quietly.

"Sorry, I thought maybe there was some paracetamol in here. Want me to stop for some?"

Ginny shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. "Just want to go home. Please, Harry."

The Jeep started up a moment later, and Ginny didn't know how he did it, but he got them home in record time. Of course, the fact that she'd been having a mini-panic attack on the drive could have had something to do with the passage of time moving quicker than usual. Harry unlocked the door, and then Ginny pushed past him, running up the stairs. She propelled herself into the bedroom and then their loo, closing the door behind her. She knew she was acting unfair and that Harry would be overly concerned for her, but she selfishly didn't care for a moment.

_Tom knows...he knows, he's been watching, how long has he been keeping tabs on me? How bloody long?_

The same words tumbled around in her head, and Ginny felt her stomach heave, but there was nothing to come out. They hadn't eaten yet, and all she had in her was the remnants of her tea. Still, she collapsed down near the toilet and backed herself up against the shower wall just in case.

She took in deep breaths and knew that she was absolutely over-reacting but couldn't seem to stop it. She was unsure how long she would have stayed like that if Harry hadn't eventually knocked on the door.

"It's not locked," she managed to croak out, and Harry slowly opened it. He frowned upon seeing her on the floor and bent down on his knees.

"Were you sick?"

"No, I don't think there's anything in me, but I felt…nauseous."

He reached out and touched her forehead, frowning. "You do feel a bit warm."

"I'm not sick like that," Ginny began and then stopped. She reached into her pocket and fished out her mobile. "You'll have to turn it back on, but…" she handed the phone to him and then closed her eyes once more, her head resting back against the wall of the shower.

Harry turned her phone back on, and then after a few minutes, she heard him swear. "Fuck."

She met his eyes and saw understanding on his face. "But how did he get this number?"

Ginny shrugged. "He always gets his way. He _always_ …before, it took him longer, but he'd eventually get there. He's grown better at tracking me down, apparently."

"There was no one there in the garden at Hayne," Harry said, looking at the message again. "How did he know you were by yourself?"

"Lucky guess?" Ginny said sighing. Harry shook his head and slipped her mobile into his pocket, and pulled her hands into his.

"Come on, let's lie on the bed. I don't care if you do get sick; it's got to be a fair sight more comfortable than this bloody floor."

After Harry had propped up the pillow behind her, he paused before climbing into the bed with her. "Do you need something for your head still?"

Ginny shook her head, and he was soon wrapping his arms around her. She settled against him and squeezed her eyes shut, wanting the pounding of her heart to stop. Harry murmured quiet words of encouragement, his voice soothing to her. Ginny didn't even realize she'd started to cry until he offered her a tissue. She pulled her head back and realized his shirt was soaked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry," she murmured, and he tsked at her.

"As my friend, Hagrid always says, 'better out than in," Harry said, shrugging. He waited for her to blow her nose and then touched her cheek tenderly. "Want a drink?"

Ginny nodded, and he kissed her forehead before he slipped off the bed. She stared vacantly at the wall across from her, not really seeing anything. Why was she letting this get to her? She was stronger than this. Wiping at her eyes roughly, she blew her nose again, determined to be tearless by the time Harry made it back to the room.

He was gone longer than she thought necessary to get a drink, and she was surprised when he did return and handed her a small glass full of Sirius's whiskey. Harry nodded at her to toss it back. She felt it sting as it went down, and Ginny's eyes watered for an entirely different reason than tears. But the whiskey seemed to shake her out of her stupor. Harry replaced the glass with a bottle of water and then smiled at her.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks," she said, and she meant it. "So, did you call Ron or Sirius?"

Harry blinked at her and then made a face. "I just called Sirius to tell him we won't be meeting them for dinner later."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you were feeling sick."

Ginny nodded and took a drink of water. "I have to tell you something else that happened today. At the shop, while you were getting fitted…I felt like someone was watching me. There was a man there, and at the time, I didn't know if he was doing it or not but, it creeped me out, Harry."

Harry frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would have caused a scene."

"And later, at Hayne, it was better that _you_ make the scene?"

Ginny pursed her lips. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should have mentioned it. But I did tell Sirius."

Harry sighed and sat back against the headboard. "Well, that's something, I reckon."

"He told me that you asked about security for me." Ginny gave him a pointed look, and Harry looked guilty for a moment.

"I was going to bring it up soon," he said, sounding put out. "I just wanted to…not scare you or make you think I thought you were weak or something. But honestly, this whole thing has only increased my desire to get something set up for you and soon. There was a company we used while I was at the height of my popularity as a player, and they're really-"

"I agree."

Harry stopped and closed his mouth with a snap as though he didn't believe her. "You agree?"

Ginny nodded. "I did it all on my own last time, and even when I did finally let my family help, he had already scared me. Hurt me, whatever. So this is me being a smarter woman and saying yes, get me a bodyguard."

Harry gave her a thoughtful look. "I honestly expected you to fight me on this one, Gin."

"I know," Ginny admitted. "Me too."

Harry pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head as he started rubbing her back. Ginny felt herself relax and didn't argue when Harry made her lay down on the bed. He moved her hair out of her eyes and smiled at her. "Why don't you take a nap?"

Ginny nodded, feeling quite acquiescent suddenly. She glanced at Harry. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep? I don't mean to be such a wet noodle about this, but…"

"Shh," Harry murmured. "It's fine. And of course, I'll stay. What else do I have to do?"

Ginny smiled and settled down on the bed as he wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest, hearing the comforting beating of his heart, already lulling her into relaxation. She was protected, with Harry. She knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

o-o-o-o-o

When Ginny awoke, it was probably late afternoon, judging by the light in the bedroom. She was unsurprised to see that Harry had eventually left the bed – after all, how entertaining could watching her sleep actually be? Ginny felt a little less shaky inside and wandered into the loo, discarding her clothes as she went. What she needed was a nice, long, hot shower. If not to physically wash away the grime of the day, but metaphorically as well.

After a fair bit later, Ginny grabbed Harry's dressing gown and took in a deep breath, smiling as she did so. She loved the way Harry's scent seemed to permeate his things. It was a clean yet masculine sort of smell that reminded her of something sweet and enticing. She pulled her hair back to let it air-dry and made her way downstairs finally.

In the kitchen, she found him with music playing softly and various bowls and cooking utensils strung about the counters. There was the smell of fresh coffee in the air, as well as something chocolatey and savory. His glasses were pushed off of his head, making his hair stand straight up. Ginny had to bite back a laugh at the serious expression on his face as he squinted at whatever it was he was doing to what looked like lumps of dough in front of him.

"You know, if you had something, say, I don't know, actual glasses on your face instead of in your hair, you might not have to squint so much," Ginny said after a moment, chuckling when Harry jumped at her voice. He ruefully shook his head at her and slipped his glasses back on.

"I kind of forgot they were up there," he admitted. He went to her, slipping his arms around her waist. "Have a good kip?"

Ginny nodded. "And then a nice long shower. Hope you didn't need any hot water for later. I think I over-indulged myself."

Harry kissed her forehead. "Whatever you needed, Gin."

"So, what's all this then?" Ginny said, indicating the kitchen. She made her way over to the coffee, deciding to splurge and have a cup.

"Dinner. And pudding. Sticky Toffee Pudding, to be exact. I was just finishing the pasties. Here, let me get them in the oven. You go sit down in the sitting room." Harry batted her out of the way, and Ginny poured some milk into her coffee and then did as he asked. She sighed as she settled on the settee. Harry joined her not soon after.

"I talked to Ron," Harry said as he sat. Ginny frowned.

"Oh, so that's why you're making all my favorite foods."

Harry rolled his eyes. "No. Well, not only. He also agrees a bodyguard is a good thing. Do you still agree?"

Ginny smirked at him. "Think my nap could have changed my mind?"

"Well, I just didn't know how long this agreeable mood of yours was going to last."

"Hah. So, what else did Ron have to say?"

Harry pulled at a thread on the cushion of the settee and didn't answer right away. He finally met her eyes.

"He's worried about you, that's all. He's going to talk to Neville tomorrow and check-in and make sure Riddle isn't bothering Hannah, too."

Ginny nodded and took a drink of her coffee, thinking about it. For some reason, she had the idea that Tom wouldn't bother with Hannah. As her luck would have it, he'd decided to focus on entirely on _her_ this time. It was just something Ginny knew with dead certainty. She suddenly didn't want to think anymore about anything serious. She looked at Harry and saw the faint crease on his forehead as he worried about her and didn't want him thinking about anything serious either. She placed her cup on the ground and turned towards him, moving forward.

He was a bit surprised, she could tell, but she smiled when she felt his arms pull her closer. She gazed at him, smoothing away his worry with a caress of her hand. His eyes were dark and very green behind his frames, and she felt her heart beat a bit faster in response. Harry smirked at her.

"You have a rather specific look on your face," he murmured, rubbing his nose against hers.

"Oh? What look is that?"

"The look that says you want us to get very close and personal on this settee again."

"Oh, _that_ look. You're brilliant at figuring me out, aren't you, Harry?"

"Are you using sex to not talk about things?" Harry asked, sounding equally part-amused and part-exasperated with her.

Ginny decided not to answer and moved her mouth up to his ear. "How long until you have to check the oven?"

"About forty minutes. Give or take."

"Perfect."

Ginny nipped at his neck and started to undo the dressing gown. Harry watched her for a moment and then slipped a hand underneath the garment as she opened it. He caressed her side, moving his fingers slowly up towards the side of her breast. They gazed at each other, and she bit her lip when his hand found what it was looking for.

He kissed her and then gently pushed her back so that he could look down at her. He gently shoved the robe off her shoulders, and his eyes hungrily took her in, filling with desire. He bowed his head down and kissed the soft skin of her throat. His fingers teased her nipples, and Ginny sighed happily as she let her own hands get lost in his hair. His wonderfully messy, gorgeous hair. Harry moaned as her nails tickled the sensitive spot at the base of his neck.

"You drive me crazy," Harry muttered and lowered his head to one of her breasts, his breath hot against her skin. When his mouth closed over her, she let her eyes flutter closed. His tongue lapped at her, and then he moved his mouth to the other breast, licking his way around the soft curve of it. Ginny opened her eyes to watch him love her – truly, it was a sight to behold – Harry was often very one-track minded when they were like this. She felt as though it was exactly what she needed right now.

She shifted underneath him and widened her legs so he could fit in between them. The roughness of his jeans felt tantalizing against her skin, and she could tell he was excited by the pressing bulge of his middle against hers. But he didn't seem to be in a hurry, and Ginny didn't feel the need to distract him. So she gave herself over to him, urging him on with soft moans of her own and tugging on his hair when she needed him to switch breasts.

Finally, Harry's hand slipped down, and she giggled, momentarily breathless as his hand tickled her mound of hair as his slender fingers moved ever closer to her sex. He pulled back and looked at her, a cocky sort of smile on his face as he took in her flushed skin. He moved his head down to in between her legs, and she moaned as he took in a deep breath. Before Harry, she would have died of embarrassment if a lover had done that. But he had shown her how utterly sexy it could be to be loved that way.

"God, you smell so fantastic," Harry mumbled. She knew he could smell how turned on she already was and felt no shame. Ginny parted her legs a bit more as an invitation, and Harry took it. His hands stayed on her breasts as his mouth moved closer to where she wanted it. She moaned and threw her head back as his tongue teased her briefly with a slow lick upwards. She felt his lips kiss the inside of her thighs and watched as he pushed his glasses off and lowered himself back down. She loved the feel of his fingers teasing her nipples, the way they pebbled underneath his touch. Ginny bit her lip, not wanting to beg, but she knew that if he didn't do more than breathe in her scent down there, then that is precisely what she would be doing. And loudly.

Harry chuckled, and she almost bucked as the vibration of it tickled her. Still, she wasn't given a chance as his mouth was suddenly _there_ – everywhere – over her - the soft, warm, wetness touching her. Ginny swore as he pushed forward with his tongue, greedily taking what her body was offering him. Backwards, forwards, up and down, it made Ginny dizzy as Harry loved her with nothing but his mouth. Sometimes Ginny thought that she didn't even need anything else. If she could just have Harry teasing her, licking and loving her like this, then she would be forever satisfied.

Until he removed one of his hands from her breast and allowed a finger to penetrate her, and she knew she'd been kidding herself. She moaned out his name, and he added a second finger. Ginny felt herself just let go – his mouth, his fingers, the way he loved her…it caused her heart to hitch in her chest. She knew she was making the loudest, most depraved sort of sounds, but goodness, she never wanted Harry to stop.

He had lowered his other hand to hold her roughly at her hip, to keep her from thrashing off the settee, and she pushed herself onto his face, not even caring. She wanted everything. Every sensation and every bit of love he could give her.

She felt her release building, and when he rubbed that spot inside of her and focused his mouth around her, Ginny couldn't help herself – she came with a loud sort of roar that made her throat hurt and her body shake. And still, Harry kept his mouth on her, even though she was whimpering, trying to get away, her body too sensitive for his attention. She must have keened out 'please' or something similar. He slowly pulled away from her, planting a soft kiss against her sex. Ginny rested back on the settee, her chest heaving, gasping for air, and held out her hand. A moment later, he grabbed ahold of it and smirked down at her.

"So, er, was it good for you?" Harry asked impishly, and Ginny snorted at him, pulling him closer.

"Git," she mumbled, and then she kissed him. Rather forcefully inserting her tongue into his mouth, wanting him to know exactly how _good_ it had been.

"My, my," Harry said, smiling when they eventually broke apart. He sounded a bit breathless now, himself. Just then, they heard a small ding from the kitchen, and Harry swore.

"Bloody hell, hold that thought, Gin." Ginny couldn't help but whinge slightly; his body had been _so_ warm on top of hers. She pulled the dressing gown around her and eventually followed him into the kitchen, where he was just pulling the pan out of the oven. Harry smirked at her.

"You might not care now, but burned pasties are so not a thing."

Ginny laughed and watched as he set the warming drawer on the oven and then put the pan into that. Harry looked at her. "Now, where were we?"

"Oh, I'm good now. You want to watch a film or something?" She couldn't keep a straight face as Harry suddenly launched himself at her. Ginny let out a small 'eep' of surprise but quickly found herself being quite wonderfully snogged off her feet. Harry pushed her up against the side of the wall and glared at her.

"I have something that requires your attention, Red. It's quite desperate, really. You know how much going down on you gets me there."

Ginny tilted her head back, chuckling. "Yes. You may have mentioned it once. Or twice. Well, let's try the bed. I don't fancy anyone coming home and walking in on us."

They hurried up the stairs, with Harry starting to chuck his clothes as he moved. Ginny merrily tsked at him. But she didn't get the chance to say anything as he was suddenly pushing her to the bed and slamming the door to the bedroom behind him.

Ginny bit her lip as he gave her a blazing look and reached forward as soon as he kicked off his jeans. She took him in hand and looked up at him, smirking. She placed her mouth around him, and he grunted, his hand going to her hair. Ginny could already taste his excitement and winked at him. Harry didn't allow her to enjoy herself for too long and was soon gently pulling her mouth away.

"I want something else this time," he murmured and leaned forward. Ginny scooted back on the bed, and Harry fitted in between her legs, his expression full of tenderness. He paused before entering her, touching her face. "I love you," he said softly, and Ginny moved her legs so that he could fit better, and she sighed as their bodies joined. Harry didn't start moving and just held himself there, deep inside of her. Ginny waited for him, willing to do whatever he needed her to do.

With slow, precise movements, Harry began to thrust, all the while watching her. She let him see that she loved him and what each stroke of his body within hers was doing to her. They had made love slowly before, but this time felt different to Ginny. Harry reached out and touched her mouth with his thumb, as though he was marveling at her. She playfully suckled his thumb into her mouth, causing him to grunt in appreciation. Ginny pulled him closer and moved gently in time with him, welcoming him. Back and forth, they moved, and she felt utterly stripped bare before him and didn't care. Harry rested his head on hers and shifted forward, their bodies meeting with each continued thrust.

"I'm going to protect you," Harry murmured. "Don't worry, Gin. He's never going to touch you, I promise."

Ginny half-sobbed and reached up, throwing her arms around his shoulders and buried her head against the side of his body. Harry started moving faster, the slow pace finally too much for him, and she shuddered. Her body felt full with emotion, and when he reached between them to touch her, she tightened herself around him, rejoicing at the sharp inhale of his breath.

They moved faster until they were both breathing heavily and tumbling towards that edge together. Ginny pulled back and watched him, unable to say what she wanted but knew that Harry understood her anyway. She broke open under him, the pleasure cresting through her in slow waves. His hips jerked forward, as though waiting for her was the thing that had been keeping him together. She urged him on and gripped his hips as if she could help push him in deeper. She moaned his name and shifted her legs up even higher onto his back. Harry cursed, his pace quickening.

When he finally emptied himself inside her, Ginny was practically there again herself. Harry knew exactly what she needed, still moving inside of her as he thumbed her sex. She felt her third release burst out of her sudden and quick, his body still pulsing within hers. They finally stilled, and Ginny wrapped herself around him, lowering his head to rest against her chest. She clutched at him, feeling done in.

Harry eventually shifted off of her, and she sighed. His arm wrapped around her waist, his eyes closed as he rested his head next to her. She gazed at him, allowing her fingers to snake out and brush his fringe off his forehead. "I love you," she whispered, and his eyes flew open. He smiled.

"I'd hope so, after _that_."

Ginny laughed, and Harry soon joined her. All thoughts of Tom Riddle and strange men watching her went out of her head. All that mattered was right here, right now.

o-o-o-o-o

"This was absolutely delicious, Harry," Ginny said, putting her last bite of pudding in her mouth. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"That self-satisfied smile on your face is all I need as thanks," Harry said cleverly, and she opened her eyes to smirk at him.

"I think I repaid you earlier."

Harry just smiled at her and didn't say anything. He grabbed their dishes and started loading the dishwasher. Ginny took another drink of her tea and felt a bubble of joy surround her. The day had started out so frightening and strange, but now she felt like herself again. She was just shaking her head to herself when Sirius came into the kitchen.

"Bugger. Missed dinner. Oh, did you make pasties and sticky toffee? Reckon Ginny's feeling better then?"

Sirius started towards the leftover food, but Harry shook his head and gently kicked the side of the oven with his foot. "I kept a plate warm for you."

"Oh, godson. I raised you so well. So thoughtful. Pats on my back, all around. Well done, me."

Harry rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup of coffee and sat with Ginny at the table again.

"You didn't eat with Remus and Dora?" Ginny asked as Harry's godfather joined them.

"Nah, I think they wanted to be alone. I tried to catch Zee, but she must still be at work. I was hoping Harry had thrown something together for you two that I could crash." Sirius glanced at her. "Feeling better? You look less peaky than before."

Harry glanced at her, and Ginny squeezed his hand. "I wasn't really sick. Tom Riddle contacted me. I sort of, well, I had a panic attack. I think that man _was_ watching me at the shop. Tom made a reference to me going inside."

Sirius stopped eating and looked at her and then Harry. "Shite. How did he get your new number?"

Ginny shrugged. "He was always…quite capable of getting what he needed when he needed it. It was like his special gift."

"Well, I'm getting you a new number tomorrow," Harry said, and he held up his hand when she opened her mouth to complain. "And I don't care how much it costs. You're letting me do this for you."

Ginny coolly raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything. Sirius eventually cleared his throat and went back to eating. He glanced up at them after a moment.

"What did Riddle say, or was it a message?"

"A message," Ginny said. She looked at Harry. "You might as well let him read them too."

Harry went to get her mobile from the bedroom, and Sirius patted her hand. "He's going into full stop protection mode. It's best if you just let him do what he wants."

Ginny nodded and sighed. "I know. I just wish…oh, I don't know what I wish. I'm thankful for him - for the way that he feels. But Harry is making me super defensive at this point. He's doing so much already."

"Let him," Sirius said, his voice somber. "Don't let this Riddle bloke put this in between you two. Trust in Harry. He knows you're strong and capable, Ginny. You guys need to be a united front."

Ginny nodded as Harry returned with her mobile. He handed it to Sirius and then sat down again, glancing at her. Ginny managed a small smile and rested her hand on Harry's arm to let him know she wasn't really cross.

"The blighter is clever. I'll give him that. I don't think there's a way to trace these messages. Probably used one of those disposable mobiles. And he's not exactly threatening in them, is he? In fact, if you didn't know the history, you'd think he was a concerned friend."

Harry frowned. "That's what bugs me about the whole thing. She can't even… _we_ can't even prove it is Riddle. He knows there's nothing the police can do."

"Like I said," Ginny murmured. "He gets what he needs."

Both men frowned at her, but she looked away, her eyes straying to the back window. Ginny could just make out the dark shapes of the trees at the edge of the property. She swallowed roughly, and part of the warm, safe feeling from earlier faded a bit. Sirius was right. Tom wanted to throw her off, disturb her, and possibly cause conflict between her and Harry. She wasn't going to let him get what he wanted this time.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry let her sleep in the next morning, much to Ginny's chagrin. She saw the note he'd placed on the bedside table and smiled. Dora probably had him running around again since she was working until the day before the big event.

Ginny changed out of her nightgown and into her work out clothes and treated herself to a fierce run on Harry's treadmill. She slipped her headphones over her ears and just forgot about the world for a while. When she finally felt sweatier than she should be, she finally stopped, sitting down on weight-bench. She'd overdone it, but she felt better for it. She was clearer in the head. And now, now she was starving.

She showered and hurried downstairs, taking them two at a time, a laugh escaping her mouth before she could stop herself. She came up short as she saw that the door to the house was wide open. She felt a crippling sense of fear swarming at her from all sides, and it was an enormous sigh of relief that escaped her mouth as Sirius came out of the kitchen talking to a man dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, the words _Finnegan's Chamber Locks & Safekeeping_ across his back. Sirius spotted her and saw her face and then glanced at the open door. He raised his hand – outstretching it towards her.

"It's all right, Ginny, I'm just having Seamus here put on a few more locks. And some lights in the back."

Ginny swallowed and then nodded her head in understanding. She continued on her way to the kitchen, feeling slightly frantic but managed to calm herself with a cup of tea and some biscuits when Sirius came to find her. Her sudden need for food had suddenly flown out the window.

"You all right?"

Ginny simply nodded as he sat next to her.

"Sorry, reckon seeing the door open like that must have been jarring."

Ginny waved her hand to indicate it was fine. She was fine. Honestly, why was she having such an over-reaction to things? She took another drink of her tea to keep from speaking, not trusting her voice not to betray her.

"I've called that security company, too. They're sending someone for you to meet. They're different from most firms. They make sure that each person being protected has a working relationship with their guard. They say it is easier for their clients to fully trust their personnel if they know each other. I asked for the bloke we had on Harry for a while."

Ginny rubbed her hand across the edge of the table, a motion that Harry would have recognized for the nervous gesture it was. She finally met Sirius's eyes. "When did you have someone protecting Harry? He tried to tell me last night, but I didn't get to really hear the story."

"Well, it was before his accident, and he was…he was at the top, career-wise. It seemed as though the press couldn't get enough of Harry's life. We found people hiding in the bushes one night, just to get a picture of him coming home, and I just thought, 'Right, enough of that.' And Cho, well, she had expressed concern for him too, although I think she secretly got off on the attention sometimes, but even she could see Harry was having a hard time accepting people noseying into his private life."

Ginny thought about it – the Harry she knew was private and didn't like attention, even for something that was honestly good, like his playing. She could see how the press hounding him would get to him. She looked at Sirius.

"So the bodyguard helped with that?"

"Yeah. It made people stay back, at least. Harry hated the very idea of it at first, but I think he grew to appreciate it. He relaxed more into his fame, but not in an egotistical way," Sirius said quickly, lest Ginny think Harry had experienced a radical personality change. She chuckled at him.

"I knew what you meant, have no fear."

Sirius smiled. "But anyway, this bloke, Alastor, he's fantastic. I hope you can hit it off with him, too. He really knows his stuff. Used to work for the government in some sort of hush-hush position, then branched out into the private sector. He's got a glass eye, though, just a forewarning. You'll find yourself staring at it at first, which he'll tolerate, but only just. Just tell yourself you don't see it."

"He's a bodyguard, and he only has one working eye?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"But he's brilliant. He barely needs his _other_ eye. I swear, Ginny, the man could _smell_ danger if you needed him to."

"Well, I can't wait to meet him them," Ginny drawled.

"Want something more substantial than those biscuits?" Sirius finally asked, nodding at the crumbs she was playing with. Ginny tried to snatch her cheery mood back.

"You're just worried I'm still going to beat you at our biscuit challenge."

Sirius chuckled. "Wasn't even on my mind, Miss Weasley. We need to go to the shops, but there are a few of those pasties left that we can reheat. And I can do a salad. Want to help?"

Ginny nodded and got up to get the lettuce and any other vegetables they had out of the fridge. She tried not to let her momentary relapse into unease get to her. She could do this. She _would_ do this for Harry and for herself. She made a mental note to call Ron later, to see what Neville had to say about everything. She liked feeling as though they were proactive, and she realized that she had many people around her who cared. Tom Riddle had another think coming if he thought he could get to her now.

o-o-o-o-o


	14. Chapter 14

"Okay, now, Miss Tonks-"

"Dora's fine, Mr Crouch."

"Miss Tonks, you will be here, next to your beloved…"

Harry hid a smirk as Dora blew a piece of hair out of her eyes in frustration. The wedding official, a very dour and orderly B. Crouch, absolutely refused to call her by anything other than her surname. This was hilarious to Harry because the man also refused to let them know _his_ first name. Sirius had a betting pool going around, and right now, it was five to one that the man's name was Baldric. Or Brooks. Harry himself had put a fiver down on Bartholomew. But Harry also had the idea that Sirius was stacking the bet so that it would end up Remus's by the end of the wedding, regardless of the gentleman's name. A sort of monetary wedding present he could give his best mate without bringing any wounded feelings of pride out or something like that. Harry knew Remus and Dora weren't as well off as he and Sirius and agreed with his godfather that they should have a nice nest egg to start their lives together.

Not that Remus or Dora would ever let Harry or Sirius give them something like that outright.

As for an actual present, he and Ginny had decided to buy them the new television Dora had hidden at the bottom of their gift registry. He wasn't sure Remus even knew it was there, but he'd immediately known that was what he'd wanted to get them, and Ginny had agreed.

As his mind turned to Ginny, he glanced down the long, central aisle of the church. His eyes went to the open door that was allowing in the cool October air. She was a few minutes late, but he wasn't worried. She had her bodyguard with her, and although Harry knew it horrible of him, he had to admit there was something about the idea that really put his mind at ease. He'd trusted his life to Alastor Moody too, once upon a time, and he knew there was no one better he'd trust with Ginny's.

They were fast approaching his part in the ceremony, and Harry tried to pay attention to what was being said, but he let his mind wander again. He absentmindedly patted his pocket. Yes, the itinerary and the tickets were still there. He'd had the last minute idea to whisk Ginny away for their first proper mini-holiday together and he was going to tell her about it tonight. He'd wanted to just flat out surprise her, but Hermione had told him that 'most women prefer a tiny bit of preparation time' for packing and other things. And although Harry didn't plan on them leaving their compartment much and had pretty much imagined the entire time _nude_ , he didn't think Ron would want to know that.

Suddenly Harry heard his name being called and realized everyone was looking at him. He stepped up towards Remus and Dora as Mr Crouch held his hand out.

"Mr Potter will then step forward and hand Mr Lupin the ring. You do have the ring, don't you Mr Potter?"

Harry nodded. "In a safe place."

Mr Crouch indicated that Harry should continue and he mimed giving the ring to Remus, who was smiling at him. Sirius cleared his throat on the other side of Dora.

"Ah, yes, Mr Black, this is when you also do your part."

"Sure. _Barty_ ," Sirius said, winking at Harry. Mr Crouch merely raised an eyebrow at them and didn't say anything in return. Sirius leaned closer to Harry. "Damn, thought that was sure to be it."

Sirius mimed giving a ring to Dora. She'd had the rather brilliant idea (or at least Harry thought it was) to be shown giving Remus a ring in return, saying she felt less like a family cow that way and more like a bride on equal footing with her spouse.

"And, now, of course, we move on to the personal vows of the evening. You say your bit Mr Lupin, then Miss Tonks says hers, and then we ask if anyone has any reason why these two cannot be joined-"

Just then, a loud noise at the back of the church had them all turning their heads. Harry smiled when he saw it was Ginny arriving with Alastor Moody in tow. Ginny stopped when she realized she'd interrupted and flashed a smile and a little wave towards them. She quickly found a seat in one of the pews, and Harry could see her cheeks turning pink all the way from where he stood. He winked at her.

"Honestly, could we just get to the end?" Mr Crouch was snapping, frowning at Remus and Dora.

"Right," Dora said. She smiled at Remus. "This is where I say how much I love you, you stubborn sod."

Remus grinned back at her. "And this is where I look embarrassed and yet inanely pleased you have deigned to be my wife."

Sirius snorted next to Harry, and Mr Crouch raised his eyes upwards, as though only the good Lord could grant him patience. They broke apart after a few more minutes of strict instructions of what would be expected tomorrow. Then Harry was making his way towards Ginny, who scooted over for him.

"Rough rehearsal?" she asked, her hand linking with his.

Harry nodded. "Bilius, Barry, Barmy Crouchy-Grouchy pants over there could wear anyone's good mood down. But suddenly, I think my afternoon is looking up." He leaned over and captured her mouth for a kiss. It took Ginny approximately four minutes, Harry noticed, to remember they were snogging in a church. He chuckled when she pushed him away lightly.

"You'll have me thinking impure thoughts in the house of God, Harry. Stop it."

Harry waggled her eyebrows at her and then turned, realizing her bodyguard, Alastor Moody, was now sitting behind them. Harry nodded at him. "Mr Moody, sir."

"Potter."

Ginny smirked at the exchange. "We've been to the shops. Mr Moody has an excellent way of keeping salesgirls from bothering me. I may keep him forever."

Harry bit his lip, not wanting to laugh. He glanced at Moody again, who grimaced and then started doing a sweep of the church with his eyes. At least, Harry assumed that's what he was doing. But he could tell the security man must like Ginny a great deal if he had indeed put up with shopping.

"Ready for lunch?" Ginny asked, standing up. Harry nodded and stood up as well, looking around for Sirius. He finally spotted him off to the side, talking to Mr Crouch. Probably trying to pry the other man's name from him again. Remus and Dora were chatting to a woman, whom Harry vaguely remembered as the person in charge of the transportation to the reception. _Blimey, getting married seemed to be an all-around pain in the arse._

Sirius saw them waiting and waved, stopping to say goodbye to Dora, kissing her on the cheek. They would see Remus later at the "bachelor dinner" Harry had put together for them all. Unfortunately for Sirius, there would be no strippers. Although, he had seemed almost relieved after Harry had admitted he'd planned a somewhat boring night of expensive whiskey, good food, and card games instead.

"Hey, there's a new Japanese restaurant out on the High street. I thought we could try that for lunch," Sirius suggested as he joined them. Harry looked at Ginny to see if that was okay, and she shrugged.

"I'm game if you guys are. What's it called? I have to clear it with Mr Moody, as you two know."

"I'll tell him," Sirius offered and walked up ahead to Ginny's bodyguard. Harry took Ginny's hand and tugged on it, making her stop.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you, and I was going to spring it on you later when we separate, but…" Harry paused and reached for the envelope in his pocket. He handed it to her and nodded at her to open it.

Ginny frowned, and he watched as her eyes took in the tickets and the itinerary. She glanced up at him.

"What is this, Harry?"

"I'm whisking you away for a romantic getaway. On a train."

"I can see that, but wait…we're going to Venice?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I thought you'd enjoy that bit. And I've always wanted to go on the train. Well, that particular train is a bonus."

"The Orient Express? For real?"

Harry nodded. "As close as they can get it. All the cars are refurbished from the 1920s. They've tried to make it as much like the original train as possible. I have always wanted to go, and my parents had their honeymoon on a train through Scotland. Did I ever tell you that? Anyway, it's a short trip, and you said you'd never been out of Britain… Ginny, are you okay?"

Ginny was blinking at him rapidly. "But this is so much money, Harry and-"

"Is that your only objection? I mean, I thought we should go away together. Properly. You've been so stressed with the Riddle thing, and this wedding week has been crazy hectic, and Ian already knows, and he's okay with it, because apparently one of the girls is pregnant in your office, and he plans to work you to death when she's off on maternity, so really, don't-"

Ginny stopped his rambling by throwing herself into his arms and kissing him. When she finally pulled back, her eyes were full of unshed tears, he was surprised to see. She shook her head at him.

"I love you."

"Great. So you'll go then?"

Ginny laughed. "Of course."

"Fantastic!" Harry said, not being able to contain his excitement. They had reached the door, and Sirius was waiting for them, a smirk on his face.

"He tell you about your train holiday?" Sirius asked Ginny, and she nodded, her face turning red.

"He hasn't shut up about it since he came up with the idea. Just like his father, this one. Potter men are romantic sods."

Harry didn't care. Ginny had said yes, relatively quickly. He realized he had half-thought she would say no, he didn't know why. Sirius and Ginny continued talking, and Harry felt nothing but the breeze in his hair and the bright autumn sun on his face.

o-o-o-o-o

"Okay, so Harry…tell us, _are_ redheads more fun?"

Sirius snorted, and Ron looked mildly affronted at Remus's question. Remus's mates from the school just looked puzzled until Sirius showed them a picture of Ginny from his mobile and they too looked intrigued. Harry felt his face heat as he stared at his cards.

They'd been playing steadily for over an hour, and he was pretty sure Sirius was on the high street to getting quite pissed. But still, he was surprised at his uncle's rather bawdy question.

"Remus! Er, her brother is sitting right next to you."

"Ron put your hands over your ears," Sirius said, laughing. "I really want to hear his answer."

"Oh, you've pulled plenty of gingers," Remus snickered as he took a gulp of the scotch Sirius had just poured him. Dora had said Remus could have four drinks. This was his third, and Harry wondered if he would have a problem cutting his uncle off. _Perhaps it was wedding jitters?_

"I have not! That was James's thing. And then, after we all knew Lily, well, really. It didn't seem right."

Remus merely raised an eyebrow at his oldest friend and then turned his gaze back to Harry. "The world is still waiting, Harry, and the fact that her brother is here doesn't mean you get out of answering. Use your nice, non-crude words if you want."

Harry gave Ron an apologetic glance. His mate gave him a small smile and then stood up. "Right. Well, I'm out this hand. Think I'll go see if there are any of those sandwiches Hagrid brought earlier still around. Mind you, Harry, still watch what you say. That is my baby sister you're about to besmirch to these two hooligans." Remus's friend Kevin jumped up too to join him as though he also felt uncomfortable.

Sirius and Remus cackled at each other, and Harry shook his head. "Nice, you guys. Sirius, I'm not even surprised by you, but Remus? What on earth is going on?"

"Inquiring minds just want to know," Remus said, his eyes lighting up as a considerable grin overtook his face. Harry couldn't help it and smiled back. "I'm about to be off the table forever, Harry. And I regret I've never er, _dated_ , a ginger."

"Everything you've heard about them? It's true," Harry said, shrugging.

"The stamina?" Sirius inquired, waggling his eyebrows.

"Loads," Harry said smugly.

"The fierce temper means she's fierce in other areas too, I'd imagine," Remus said, smirking.

"You have no idea, uncle," Harry deadpanned.

"I have some idea. I've heard them go at it!" Sirius exclaimed, which caused another riot of distinct male laughter to break out. Harry suddenly realized Ron had been wise to leave. His godfather and uncle were more pissed than he'd realized.

"Right then," Harry said, removing the scotch bottle from the table. "I'm cutting you two off. Here, Terence, you take it." He handed the still-half full bottle of Old Pulteney that Ron had brought to Remus's other workmate.

Sirius looked disappointed to see the scotch disappear. He narrowed his eyes at Harry. "You're father would let us get pissed. We got pissed at _his_ bachelor dinner."

"My father would want him to actually be conscious enough to get married in the morning."

"James was an old softie for marriage. This is true," Remus said, blinking at them. Harry saw him glance at his glass, and Remus suddenly looked like he realized he'd had too much. "Thank you, Harry. I'm sure wherever Dora is right now, she's thanking you as well. This stuff hit me harder than I thought it would."

"I'm sure she is," Harry said. He looked at his cards again. His current hand of cards stunk. He gazed at his godfather and wondered if Sirius was cheating – he'd won the last three rounds. He threw his cards down. "I'm out. Sirius doesn't need any more of my money tonight."

"Come on, Moony, what do you say? Am I bluffing, or do I have what it takes to…er, win this gigantic pot of…70 quid?"

Harry stood up and went into the kitchen. He had the idea that maybe Sirius had been winning so he could finally lose, and lose badly, to Remus. Just another way of making sure his friend went home with a little extra money. Ingenious, really.

He found Ron outside with Kevin and Hagrid, who was smoking. The dusky scent of the pipe was pungent in the autumn air.

"Too rich for your blood, finally, 'Arry?" Hagrid asked.

"Too pissed to keep talking to, more like," Ron mumbled. Harry smiled.

"Don't worry, Ron, Ginny's virtue remains un-besmirched. I told them nothing."

"Good. I don't have to deck you one," Ron said, grinning.

"They don't mean any harm, Ron. It's been a long time since our 'Arry has been in love like this. I'm sure Sirius is worried you're all going to marry now and leave him all alone."

"But Sirius has Zee now," Harry said, frowning at Hagrid's words.

Hagrid acknowledged that with a large puff on his pipe. "Aye, he does, and she's a fine lass. More than a match for our Sirius. But he's always had a bit of the melancholy about him whenever big events happen like this. He was near weepy when your father and mother married, 'Arry. I remember having to bring him home myself that night because he'd drank so much."

Harry's mobile suddenly went off, and he stepped away to answer it. It was Ginny. In the background, he could hear several women laughing. Very loudly and quite a lot.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, all right there, Gin?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to call you. I miss you."

Harry chuckled. "We'll see each other tomorrow."

"I know, but…oh my god, Hermione! No! Hang on, Harry."

Harry heard a small crash and then a lot more laughing. He thought he heard Hermione's voice yelling, "Come on, just once more!" Suddenly it went quiet, and Harry realized Ginny must have left wherever she was.

"Bloody hell, I'd forgotten how crazy Hermione can get when she's had a few."

"I thought you guys were having a nice quiet night at home with hard liquor and romantic movies?"

"Yes, well, Abagail decided to treat us all to a nightclub. A _ladies_ nightclub. I didn't even know Godric's Hollow _had_ a place like this! There's these blokes here that take off everything, Harry. Hermione's sort of…gone all in, as it were."

Harry's mind boggled at the idea of Ron's fairly proper wife _going all in_ with a male stripper and shuddered.

"How's it going over there?" Ginny asked, her voice sounding wistful.

"Fine. Sirius has beaten us all at cards three times over. He and Remus are half-way to being utterly pissed, and Ron had to leave the room because Remus wanted to know if what they say about redheads is true."

"Oh?" Ginny asked chuckling. "And what did you say? And I mean after Ron left the room, of course."

Harry laughed. "Your honor remains intact. I do not kiss and tell, but er, perhaps I let them think most of it was true."

Ginny snickered. "Will it be ending soon, do you think?"

"Hmm, fairly soon, I think. I've cut them off from the scotch. There's no place to go but sober, now. Why? Thinking of sneaking out and sleeping at home with me tonight?"

"Er, well, actually, I thought we could have another phone call later. You know, just us and our..imaginations. For old times sake." Ginny's voice dropped down an octave, and damned if Harry didn't suddenly feel nostalgic too. He glanced behind him and made sure Hagrid and Ron were busy talking, and stepped further away.

"Aren't you sharing a room with Hermione, Red?"

Ginny sighed. "Yes, but…maybe I can hide in the shower. Or, better yet, make _her_ sleep in the shower in case she gets sick."

Harry chuckled. "Not that I want to talk you out of this brilliant idea, but that's a bit mean to do to your sister-in-law, you know."

"You're right. But…if I get a chance to be somewhere alone later, I'll call, yeah? I miss you."

"All right, it's a semi-date. But if not, I _will_ see you tomorrow and then we have the train. And I don't plan on us leaving that blasted compartment the entire trip over."

"But I won't get to see anything, Harry. That is the point of a mini-holiday, isn't it?"

"I've got a few things I can show you," Harry said, trying to make his voice sound sexy, the way he knew she liked it. Ginny giggled softly.

"I love you."

"I know," Harry said, knowing he sounded smug, and Ginny laughed, but suddenly stopped abruptly.

"Oh, bother, here comes Abagail looking for me. They've said they're not going to rest until I put a fiver into some bloke's pants."

"Well, just make sure he's an ugly bloke."

"Harry! They're strippers. Ugly sort of doesn't enter into it. But I admit they're all sort of, well, not ugly but…bland? No character in their faces. Although this really nice Irish bloke is a bartender here, sort of looks like my type. Dark hair, blue eyes…"

"I hate him. Get out of there now. Tell them you're sick. Tell them _I'm_ sick."

Ginny laughed, and it tickled his insides. "If I don't get to call later, I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry sighed as though he was being put upon. "All right. I'll bring tea with me, yeah?"

"You're the perfect bloke, Harry Potter, let no one tell you otherwise."

Ginny rang off then, and Harry smiled at his phone. He made his way back to the others and sighed inwardly. Now that Ginny had put the idea in his head, he suddenly missed her a lot more, too. But he knew that soon they would have some alone time on the train. Where he would perhaps let her see some of the scenery. If she was especially nice to him.

o-o-o-o-o

"And may I now present to you, Mr and Mrs Lupin!" Mr Crouch's voice was full of pomposity, but Harry had to admit the man knew how to enunciate loudly and clearly. The small group of wedding guests all cheered as Remus and Dora turned to face them, and when Sirius started clapping next to him, he couldn't help but join in. Mr Crouch looked as though he couldn't wait to see the backside of the whole lot of them and stepped off to the side.

Ginny was grinning happily at him from across the aisle, and he felt his heart fill. She looked absolutely stunning. While Harry could see and recognize that Dora herself was glowing and looking lovely, no one in the room was compared with his Red. Her hair was twisted up and layered on the top of her head with curly ringlets hanging down. It looked quite fetching, Harry thought, and sexy as well. Seeing the gentle, graceful curve of her neck was making his heart do the conga in his chest for some reason.

Unfortunately, they had not been able to have their "phone call" the night before, so Harry felt himself missing her quite keenly. Ginny's cheeks flushed as she looked at him, as though reading his mind. It was only Sirius clearing his throat next to him indicating that it was his turn to head down the aisle after the bride and groom that brought him out of his daydream.

"You two will be off soon enough," Sirius whispered to him, and Harry nodded. He caught sight of Zee in one of the pews and glanced at his godfather.

"Zee looks amazing, by the way. I think I finally understand the point of weddings. It's just an excuse to get all the women into these amazing dresses."

Sirius chuckled, but Harry noticed his eyes lingered on his girlfriend, much like Harry's had on Ginny. And Zee did look just as lovely. Her golden-brown hair was down, not up, but she had gathered it in the middle so that it bunched together, trailing down her back in curly waves. Harry had the feeling that Sirius might appreciate Harry and Ginny being away on their trip, too.

Dora and Remus looked ecstatic. He had never seen his uncle look so happy. Of course, as the day had dawned, Remus had looked absolutely miserable from the small hangover he was experiencing. Still, Sirius had soon put him to rights with some sort of energy concoction he'd made the two of them. When he saw the hot sauce being added, Harry honestly didn't want to know what was involved.

The reception was to be held at Hayne, and Dora had arranged for vintage VW camper-buses to take everyone over to the site. They were all different colors and decorated with the wedding flowers. The wedding party's bus was a pale, baby blue and had a long chain of flowers stretched across the front grill.

Ginny slipped her hand into his as they made their way down the main path of the church. He grinned at her.

"Have I told you how great you look today?"

"Maybe a few hundred times, but I never get tired of hearing it." She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "What time do we have to leave to catch our train to London?"

"Oh, probably around 4 or so. We've got time for me to spin you around that dance floor a few times, at least."

Ginny laughed. "I just realized that I don't even know, but, can you dance, Harry?"

"I get by. Sirius may have paid for lessons when I was sixteen. Didn't want me to be a complete arse when I got older."

"Clever man that Sirius."

"Why thank you, I am. But what am I clever about this time?" Sirius said as Zee and him joined them.

"Getting this one dancing lessons," Ginny said.

"Ah, yeah. Well, it was either I take matters into my own hand or he was doomed to be a wallflower forever. No offense, godson. But you weren't exactly full of grace as a teenager, Harry."

"I was while playing football," Harry insisted, making a face.

"And that's where it ended. But he's perfectly passable now, Ginny. But I think it's good you opted for comfortable shoes today."

"My loving godfather, everyone," Harry joked as they joined Dora at their bus. She was just making sure Remus was secured into the front seat. She turned around and threw her arms around Harry and Sirius, bringing them both in for a bone-crushing hug.

"I love you two bloody sods, do you know that?" She kissed Sirius first, and then planted a big smooch on Harry's forehead. Zee and Ginny watched, amusement etched on their faces.

"Er, Dora, have you been into the whiskey already?" Sirius asked as he disentangled himself.

"No, I'm just deliciously, uproariously, brilliantly happy, you git!"

"Bloody hell," Harry mumbled to Ginny, who smirked at him. She reached up and brushed her hand across his forehead.

"Lipstick?" Harry asked as she showed him her thumb. It was now smeared maroon.

"Lipstick," Ginny nodded. "But it's gone now. Mostly."

Harry rubbed at his forehead as they settled into their seats. "She's far gone already. He glanced at his uncle. "And you, Remus? How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic, Harry. I wholly suggest getting married."

Harry shook his head as Ginny took his hand, the light catching his ring on her finger. He smiled at her. "As I've said before, we can elope when we do it."

"What? And miss all this for us? I can't wait for the reception. Hermione's hangover is the stuff of legends. Did you see her this morning at all?"

"No, well, just briefly. You're right, she looked a bit peaky."

"I can't _wait_ to tease her," Ginny said grinning widely as Dora finally got into the bus and started it. "Maybe I'll switch tables so that she and Ron are right next to the band." Harry chuckled. It was going to be an eventful afternoon, he could tell.

o-o-o-o-o

After many opportunities to dance – from Dora's mum to Arabella Fig to Ginny (half-a-dozen times, Harry was sure to make sure she got priority). He was ready to leave the hustle and the bustle of so many friends and family members behind him. Remus and Dora were holding court at the main table. He knew soon that there would be presents being opened and then the cake, which he was looking forward to, but he really just wanted to get away with Ginny.

He wandered outside to get some fresh air, sighing. It truly had been a brilliant day and the weather had held for the wedding, he was pleased to see. It was just a tad nippy out, but it felt nice after the crowd in the main building.

He nodded at Moody, who was standing near the front door, keeping his eyes peeled. Harry supposed it was a mark of a good bodyguard that he hadn't even thought of the man until just now. He'd been like when Harry had gone to social functions before – silent, practically invisible, but always seemingly just there when you needed him.

He walked off to the edge of the property, taking in a deep gulp of air. The garden at Hayne was truly a lovely thing. He wondered what it would be like in the early springtime. He didn't know how soon Ginny would agree to get married, they hadn't actually discussed it much, but he thought he would like a spring wedding – everything in bloom and new. He shook his head at himself – this wedding had practically turned him poetic over night.

"Harry?" Ginny was waving at him as she moved to join him. Harry saw Moody some distance away from, her head moving back and forth. He smiled at her as they met in the middle.

"I needed some peace and quiet."

"I can see that. I got tired of Dora's Uncle Clive stepping on my feet." She threw her arms around his neck and smiled. Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. She smelled so good to Harry – like flowers and love and home and everything wonderful in between. He felt his pulse quicken in response.

"What were you just thinking?" she teased when she saw his facial expression.

"How great you smell," Harry admitted.

Ginny shook her head, clearly amused. "You and your scents fetish. All I smell is you and…" she paused, taking in a deep breath. She nodded towards the plants behind him. "And those, whatever those are. They're a bit minty, aren't they?"

Harry didn't really care and as he moved forward to capture her lips with his, he made sure she didn't care either. She sighed when they broke apart. "Is it time to leave yet?" Ginny murmured, her eyes sparkling at his.

"God, who cares, let's just go," Harry said, his voice low. He wasn't even sure if he could wait until they got on the train. He wanted her in the worst way suddenly. Watching her all day, the way she looked, the way their eyes would meet across the room…Harry realized they'd been teasing each other all day.

Ginny tsked at him. "I am not having you muss up my hair or dress before we leave, Potter, so get those dirty thoughts out of your head."

"May as well ask me not to breathe. Or do this," he said and let his hands roll down her back to grip her bum. She laughed when she pushed gently back at him. She slipped a hand in between them, her fingers grazing a part of his anatomy that really didn't require any further encouragement at this point.

"Minx," he replied, jerking his hips forward. "But don't start what you just told me not to do."

Ginny bit her lip and her eyes crinkled in amusement at him. "Come on, the sooner we start to say goodbye to everyone, the quicker we'll be on that bloody train."

"Best idea ever," Harry mumbled, swatting at her backside playfully as she turned. She looked at him over her shoulder and winked, the sun catching the bright red highlights of her hair. Harry sighed – he couldn't wait until she took her hair down. He just wanted to run his hands in it, was that so wrong?

They found Hermione and Ron first, with Ginny smirking as Hermione kept drinking water like she was a house on fire. Ron indicated that they'd probably be leaving soon as well, what with Hermione's day-long headache still making itself known. Harry assumed that meant his wife hadn't told him she'd drank too much the night before. Or about the male strippers.

Next they found Sirius and Zee, who were slow dancing together off to the side, as though they were in their own private world. Harry watched his godfather, his heart filling with gratification at the sight. He hadn't realized how much he'd needed Sirius to find someone until just that moment. His godfather looked fantastically happy and despite how cool he played it, he knew Sirius was also very much in love.

Finally, he and Ginny approached Remus and Dora for their final farewell. And Harry had never seen either of them quite like he was seeing them now. Dora was still _glowing_ , that was the only word for it. Her hand was steadfastly in Remus's and his uncle was merely watching every move she made, his eyes full of love. Ginny looked at Harry and he knew that she could see it too.

Dora hugged him close for a moment. "Thank you for the telly, Harry. They delivered it yesterday. It's bloody brilliant."

"I'm glad you like it. I figured you'd need something to ease the boredom after the honeymoon," Harry joked. Dora blushed and then she was hugging Ginny and Harry looked at his uncle.

"All right, Remus?"

"I'm amazing, Harry. Thank you for making this whole week so easy on Dora. Having someone do all the little things saved her sanity. As well as mine. I'm incredibly thankful and so proud of you."

"Me? All I did was run errands. You're the one who got married."

"Come here," Remus said, holding open his arms and Harry bent to give his uncle a hug.

"I'm sure my dad would be dancing for joy for you right now, if he could," Harry said softly, and Remus nodded, his eyes growing a bit wet.

"You're so much like them, Harry. So much. You share all their good qualities. They'd be so proud of you too, right now."

Harry felt himself get a bit choked up and nodded, not trusting his voice. Remus gave him an understanding nod and then he felt Ginny's hand slip into his. He turned to her and she was giving him a knowing look. Harry knew it was time to go.

"Have a wonderful trip, you two. I wish I had thought of the Orient Express as a honeymoon! How terribly exciting!" Dora said, laughing.

"Dora, you're going to Paris," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Yes, but…the mystery of it, Harry! The opulence. It'll be like Hercule Poirot!"

"Well, I'll try not to solve a murder case on the way home. Or, at the very least, I'll remember that they all did it and solve it in two minutes."

Ginny and he quickly left after that and she smiled as the taxi was already waiting for them. She glanced at Harry.

"Are we already packed?"

Harry nodded. "We're just going to swing by the house, change, and then we're ready for adventure."

"What about Moody?"

"Oh, um," Harry looked around and saw Moody walking towards his own vehicle. "He's set. He's going to meet us at the station."

"He's coming with us?"

"Just to the station. I figured we'd be okay after he checked the train and our cabin. Riddle can't have someone follow us to Venice, right?"

Ginny pursed her lips at him but didn't say anything as they got into the taxi. Harry gave the driver their address and held her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Did you pack by mood, like Sirius said you do?" she teased as the car started down the road.

"Er, not, well, I mean, my mood was mostly feeling horny, so I used a bit more care than that," Harry admitted. Ginny giggled at him.

"I suppose you just packed loads of nighties for me then."

"Well, a few."

"Oh, Harry," she said, laughing. She rested her head on his shoulder and Harry checked his mobile to make sure Ian had arranged the things he'd wanted in their cabin for him. He'd asked for roses and a bottle of champagne for them. He was sure Ginny wouldn't want him splurging again on their trip, but Harry couldn't resist. He wanted everything to be perfect.

o-o-o-o-o

The key to packing, Riddle thought, was to know exactly where one was going. An opulent train ride to Italy? Yes, definitely the fine silk ties and dress shoes were required. But he packed other items, which may or may not be recognized by the intended party. He was taking a chance, doing this, he knew. But he found that part of him had been tired of waiting.

The door to the bedroom opened and Malfoy strutted in, looking windswept. He placed the items Tom had requested on the bedside table and then waited to be acknowledged. Tom eventually paused and turned towards the other man, raising his eyebrow.

"They've booked the 7:15, my Lord," Lucius said now, handing him an envelope.

"Excellent," Tom said, slipping the ticket into his jacket pocket. "Everything else is set?"

"Yes, as you requested. Are you sure you don't wish anyone to accompany you?"

"No, Lucius. This will just be for me and her. And Harry Potter, I suppose."

Tom smiled to himself and then before he knew it, he was laughing out loud. Lucius gave him an odd look but soon left him to finish his packing. Oh yes, it was going to be an interesting train ride, indeed.

o-o-o-o-o


End file.
